Perceptions
by rudeboy1971
Summary: Bianca and Maggie have had their first date, but what now? How will their family, friends and even the world perceive this relationship, and most importantly, how do they see each other? Make sure you have read Trans Atlantic Thoughts, Settling In and Emp
1. Chapter 1

June 19th – Morning

Bianca Montgomery shuffled through the living room of her large Paris apartment in her old, but cushy robe. She paused briefly, as she passed through the living room, to look up at the Eiffel Tower and smiled at the thought of her date ending up at the top of the famous monument last night.

After a few seconds, she studied the giant glass wall that was in front of her. "I have to remember to look into blinds for that wall." She mumbled to herself as she remembered, Maggie and herself looking through it the night before at Patrick and Guilia. She smiled and continued shuffling her way towards the kitchen, and her ultimate goal, the coffee pot.

As she entered the entrance hall, and approached the archway into the dining room, she heard the most wretched rendition of Barry Manilow's 'Copacabana' known to man; being…well, 'sung' would be a term for it…coming from the kitchen.

Bianca got to the doorway just in time to see Maggie with her back to the door, wearing her Tigers jersey and a pair of boxer shorts, swaying back and forth while singing, 'Music and passion were always the fashion…At the Copa...they fell in love…'. Maggie set down the cereal box as she spun around with a bowl of cereal in her hands. Miranda sat in her high chair, squealing in laughter at the show being put on.

Maggie's eyes were closed as she continued to sing her heart out, until she finally opened them, spotted Bianca, and stopped dead with an obvious look of embarrassment on her face. "Um…good morning." She said as she quickly took a seat at the butcher block.

"Oh don't stop on my account! That was a…what's the word I'm looking for…unique version of the song I must say." Bianca said with a sly grin as she crossed to the coffee pot.

Maggie turned a deeper red, and talked with her mouth full of cereal. "I thought you were still asleep."

"Oh I see. You save your singing talent for when you think you're alone huh?"

"I consider it safer that way, less people get harmed."

"Unless it's a birthday song for a certain little girl?"

Maggie laughed. "Yeah." She raised her spoon to eat another serving of cereal. "You sleep well?"

"Like a baby. I was tired after all that running around, and…" Bianca paused as she opened the door to get the creamer out for her coffee. "What in the world happened to our fridge?"

"First time you looked in it since we got home? Well, from the ones I read, they seem pretty easy."

Every shelf of the refrigerator was filled with pots of varying sizes. Attached to each was a note with reheating instructions both in French and English. "There must be two weeks worth of food in here! How in the world did she do all this last night and still have time to make out with Patrick?"

Maggie shuddered and set down her spoon. "Just had to bring that image back to mind didn't you?"

Bianca smirked, but didn't turn around to let Maggie see her expression. "Sorry about that." She continued looking at all the varying items on the shelves before proclaiming, "Well, I guess we know we won't be going out to eat for a while." She finally spotted her creamer, poured some into her coffee, and closed the fridge door before taking her usual stool at the butcher block.

A palpable silence fell over the room as Maggie went back to eating her cereal. Miranda had even gone quiet and was just sitting in her high chair calmly, feeding herself dry bits of cereal.

Bianca picked up her newspaper that Maggie had brought in for her, but she found it hard to concentrate on what was contained within. The silence that had descended was a strange mix of domestic comfort with a heavy hint of 'my date from last night is sitting across from me' awkwardness. She raised the paper a bit higher than usual to help conceal herself.

Maggie stared at the paper in front of her, trying with all her might to see through the blasted thing to get a read on what Bianca was thinking. "This is weird…" she thought, "normally you don't have morning after jitters except for when you've….yeah…and we didn't…so why does this feel so out of place? Should I ask something? Say something? What the heck do I do?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but at the exact same moment, Bianca lowered her paper and went to speak also. They caught each other and laughed. "You go first." Bianca said.

Maggie stared down into her cereal bowl and moved the last few pieces that remained around in the milk. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just going to ask if you had fun last night."

Bianca smiled broadly. "I was going to ask the same of you, and yes, I did."

"Good…so did I." Maggie said with a sheepish grin. "You know….oh…never mind." she said, moving the cereal around again.

Bianca leaned forward and folded her arms to support herself on the butcher block. "What?"

"It was nothing…it was silly."

"Come on Maggie…you opened the can of worms, now spill it. What were you going to say?"

"Just…well…I was wondering if you realized what else yesterday was."

Bianca knotted her brows in thought, and looked off into space. "Well…it wasn't anyone's birthday…June 18th…June 18th…" a look of recognition passed over her face. "Oh wow! I had no clue! One year since….."

"Since we played 'I Never'." Maggie said, cutting her off deliberately.

Bianca grinned, knowing that just meant Maggie didn't want her to say that it was also the first time Maggie had said she thought she loved her. She reached across the butcher block and squeezed Maggie's left hand. "Well…now we have two reasons to remember June 18th don't we? It's the day we played 'I Never', and the anniversary of our first date."

"Well, we don't have to so much remember the first part of that." Maggie said, blushing as she remembered how badly that confession of her feelings had gone.

"Yes we do, because it did mean something to me….it meant a lot to me actually. It's just crazy to think how much has changed in a year." Bianca said as she withdrew her hand.

"Ain't that the truth…" Maggie said as she spooned up the last of her cereal. "Some of it good, some of it bad, but it seems to have ended well."

"Very true." Bianca looked over at Miranda who was now speaking her own little language at the two of them. Bianca sighed. "I wish she would start talking. I keep hearing things that sound like a word, but aren't quite there."

"Everyone develops at their own speed Bianca, she'll get there. I think she's about to start walking on her own. She keeps pulling herself up on things, and tries walking, but immediately falls over, but she's getting there." Maggie walked over and washed her bowl out in the sink.

"I had noticed the marks on her knees, and I've seen her do it a few times, but she's so tired by the time I get home, I don't get to see her do much." Bianca said as she picked Miranda out of her high chair. "And see, I'm afraid I'm going to miss everything while I'm at the office."

"I promise you, I will call you the moment anything happens."

"It won't be the same though…" Bianca said, her voice trailing off as she hugged Miranda's head to her cheek. "I want to see it."

"Well, what are your plans for today?"

"Oddly enough, nothing. I am caught up on all the reports I need to read for my meetings this week, so I have the day free."

Maggie flicked the water off her hands into the sink, and then dried them with a towel. "Well, why don't we go buy a camcorder? That way if anything happens while you are gone, I can record it for you. And while we're doing that, we can stop and get Miranda some pants so she won't scrape her knees up so much when she falls."

"Oh a shopping day…just twist my arm why don't you." Bianca said with a giant grin.

"Well…a shopping day for you…some of us have large a restaurant bill to pay off."

Bianca opened her mouth to say something, but Maggie cut her off with a glare. Bianca shrank back and smiled. "Ok…well…I'll go get Miranda and I ready, you want to see if Patrick's busy, or do you just want to take taxi's today?"

"Let's go with the taxi's if you don't mind." Maggie said, while visibly trying to shake off the cooties of remembering what they had seen from the Eiffel Tower the night before.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Fine…I'll meet you in forty-five minutes."

June 19th – Evening

"Reggie….Reggie….REGGIE! I'll call you back…my hands are full, we just got out of the elevator…I will…promise…ok…ok…I'll call you later!" Bianca hung up her mobile phone. "What's that make….three times he's called today?"

"Four if you count him calling me when I was in the ladies room at the electronics store."

Bianca laughed as she pushed Miranda's stroller through the door, and Maggie held it open. "Gee, I wonder what he's so anxious to talk about."

"Oh, I'm sure I would have no idea there." Maggie said, rolling her eyes as she dropped her keys in the dish on the hallway table, and placed some shopping bags next to that. "Oh well, he's your brother now, you can fill him in. I, on the other hand, am going to go take a shower and start warming up one of our gajillion pre-made dinners, unless you need help with Miranda."

"Thanks, but I think I can handle her. She's pretty tuckered out, so she shouldn't be too much trouble tonight."

Maggie walked through the dinning room arch, removing the clips from her hair as she went. "Ok, see you in a bit then."

Bianca rolled Miranda's stroller forward to where she could watch Maggie walking to her room. Once her friend was out of sight, Bianca closed her eyes, sighed and thought "And now the fun begins…figuring out just what the two of us are to each other."

Bianca walked into the kitchen carrying a very drowsy Miranda in her arms. Maggie stood at the stove with two pots going on the burners. She turned as she heard the other residents of the apartment approaching. "Hey you two! Oh man she looks out of it."

"I know, but she has to get some dinner in her, and then I can put her to bed. I think shopping was just too much excitement for her."

Bianca put her in her high chair and walked over to prepare some food for her. "Probably. Oh, I called Reggie while I gave Miranda her bath."

"Really…" Maggie said as she stirred some red sauce. "And how did that go?"

"Well, as we suspected, he wanted to know everything about last night."

Maggie smiled, remembering a pep talk Reggie had given her once about how he felt that it would always be Maggie & Bianca in the end. She could picture his enormous, toothy grin, stretching across his face as he listened to Bianca tell the tale of the previous night. "Well, I am sure you told the story just fine." While inside, Maggie was dying to know what impressions her dark-haired friend had relayed to her new step-brother.

"Oh he asked about everything…and critiqued bits of it in that way only Reggie can." Bianca took a seat next to Miranda and tried to squeeze the spoon into the mouth of the half-asleep little girl.

"Critiqued? What in the world was there to critique? If he thinks he can do better, he can just come over here and take you out!"

"Don't worry, it was me he was commenting on." Bianca said laughing. She was trying to not share the information that it was the kiss to Maggie's forehead he was commenting on. He, of course, had wanted a full on good night kiss to have occurred. Bianca had informed him that everything had to come in it's own time, and just going out on a date was a big enough step for one night.

Maggie blushed, realizing what that meant, and continued stirring the sauce to keep it from sticking. "He have any gossip about Pine Valley to share?"

"Nothing much. Mom and Jack are back…Zach seems to be enjoying rubbing it in everyone's face that he married Kendall."

Maggie shook her head. "I still don't get that, business arrangement or not, it's still just darn odd."

"You're telling me. Oh..and Ryan is acting 'whacked' as Reggie put it, but he figures that has to do with the whole..." Bianca paused, realizing she had gone down a road of thought she perhaps shouldn't have.

"You can say his name Bianca. He has no power over me anymore." Maggie said softly, her back still turned to her friend.

"Well…everything that happened with his brothers."

"Understandable, that would bother anyone I think." Maggie tapped the spoon on the side of the pot. "This is just about done. How are things going with the Munchkin?"

"I'm giving up. I think I got two spoonfuls in her. I'll go ahead and take her upstairs." Bianca pulled Miranda out of the high chair to take her to her bed. "Hey…you in the mood for some wine tonight?"

"Sure. I'll get a bottle out while you put her to sleep." Maggie quickly walked over and placed a kiss on top of Miranda's head and reached up with her left hand to stroke her hair. "Good night Munchkin…sweet dreams."

Bianca smiled at her friend, and walked out of the room softly singing to her daughter as she went.

"Oh I see. Just because you can sing, you're allowed to do it without ridicule!"

Bianca's song broke briefly while she laughed at her friend.

Bianca returned from putting Miranda down to find the dinner placed on the dining room table, the wine poured and Maggie coming back from the kitchen with silverware. "Looks like I have good timing." She sat down in her usual chair, across from Maggie and looked at the dinner. "We have got to write a thank you note to Guilia."

"I was thinking the same thing, but can we leave out Mack Daddy?" Maggie asked with a crooked grin.

"Well, that's a step in the right direction, you can at least laugh about it now."

"Well, it's either laugh or cry, so I opted for the laughing."

"Probably a wise choice." Bianca lifted her glass of wine and held it out for Maggie to do the same. Maggie looked surprised, but followed suit.

"What are we toasting?" The shorter girl asked.

"I don't know, just doesn't feel right if we have wine and don't toast."

"Well then…to another lazy day in France!"

"Sounds good to me!"

The girls clinked their glasses, drank deeply and dug into their dinners.

"I thought I would sit down with the video camera after dinner and figure out how to use it. I figure I don't have much time before she does something new and exciting, so I had better be ready for it."

"Probably a good idea. And knowing how slow you are to pick things up…"

"Watch it Montgomery!" Maggie threatened as she picked up dinner knife for emphasis.

"Ooooh! Scary!" Bianca said while laughing.

As the laughter trailed off, silence fell across the table as it had during breakfast. Here they were again. Was this a dinner between two friends? Between two women who had just started a romantic relationship? Or was it something so totally new that neither of them could really put their finger on it?

There were sheepish grins, blushes and uncomfortable clearings of the throat throughout the rest of dinner. The bottle of wine quickly disappeared and the girls sped through the remainder of the meal. Bianca offered to clean up if Maggie wanted to go start playing with the camera. Honestly, she had to admit she was looking for a few minutes by herself to collect her thoughts.

Maggie sat down in the middle of the den's couch, clicked on the TV to the English language news channel, and placed the video camera on the coffee table. She could hear the sounds of Bianca clearing the dishes from dinner. "This has got to stop." she thought to herself. "We're the exact same people we were two days ago, nothing's changed except we went on a date. People go on dates all the time, so why should it change anything between us?"

She began unpacking the video camera from its Styrofoam coffin, cables spilling out on to her lap, and located an instruction book…all in French. "Oh nice…didn't think about that part idiot." she mumbled to herself.

As she fiddled with the parts, figuring out what went where, she silently pondered her predicament with Bianca more. "It can't be like this every day and night, we'll go nuts, but how do we find a happy medium between being just friends and…well…I guess being a couple. We aren't a couple yet though…are we? One date doesn't make two people a couple….man, here I go again! Why can't I just have a non-confusing moment with her? Just once…that's all I ask!"

Back in the kitchen, Bianca rinsed the dishes before placing them in the washer. "No, dinner wasn't awkward at all." she thought to herself sarcastically. "How can I look across that table every night now without thinking of her romantically? Last night was wonderful…it was everything I had ever wished for from our first date, but the oddity of our living arrangements is an even bigger factor than I thought it would be."

Bianca finished loading the dishwasher and added the detergent that was stored under the sink. She closed it up, turned on the cycle and leaned back against the counter, folding her arms in front of her as she stared off into space, continuing her thoughts. "I think it's clear we both want a second date, but the line between home life and date seems so blurry for some reason. If it's this bad now, what's it going to be like after a few more dates?"

She heaved a sigh and got a glass out of the cupboard and filled it from the faucet. She took a sip, squared her shoulders, and turned to start heading towards the den. "Back into the fray." she thought as she walked through the apartment.

When she got to the den, she was faced with a new problem in that Maggie had sat down in the middle of the couch to use the coffee table to work on while she played with the video camera. She paused briefly, thinking that sitting on the couch would bring them to close together and even more of the awkwardness that already hung in the air. She instead chose to take the seat in the opposite corner of the room so she could at least face her friend. She sat down and rested her glass of water in her lap, unsure of what else to do with it.

Maggie glanced up at her, smiled, and looked back down at the spaghetti of cables in her lap. "You know….I don't bite."

Bianca cocked her head to the side and looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"You can't see the TV from over there. You can sit next to me. I won't bite."

Bianca blushed. "I know that, I just felt like sitting over here and giving you room to work….and I wanted to admire Portia."

Maggie continued to look down. "As for admiring Portia…I prefer to forget she's up there since you said you would move her months ago. Bianca…in the entire time we have lived here, that is the first time you have ever sat in that chair…ever."

"I know, but I…just didn't want to crowd you."

"In the physical or emotional sense?"

Bianca swallowed hard enough to be heard. She paused before she dryly whispered, "Both." She raised her glass and took a sip of the water.

Maggie leaned back on the couch and stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Is this what it's going to be like from now on? We went on a date, good for us. We discussed going on a second date, again, good for us. If it means we are going to live in constant fear of each others boundaries, then, what's the point?"

Bianca stared at Maggie for a moment. "You've been giving this some thought haven't you?"

"All day…ever since breakfast."

"Me too."

"So fine…." Maggie now looked directly at Bianca, "what do we do about it?"

"We just need to establish some rules of what is and is not a date."

Maggie looked down at the jumbled pile of video camera cables. "I would say this qualifies as not a date."

Bianca finally cracked a smile. "Yeah, I would agree with you there, but what about like at dinner tonight? That was extremely awkward."

"No doubt, but, again, what do we do about it?"

"I think I have an idea, but I'm not sure what you are going to think about it."

"At this point, I'm willing to try anything, because one day of this was plenty for me."

Bianca stood up and turned to the shelves in the room. On one of the shelves at eye-level was a little wooden box. She opened it and took something out that Maggie could not see. She turned around to face Maggie, but whatever she had retrieved was hidden in her fist. "Promise you won't laugh."

"You know me….I can not make a guarantee like that." Maggie said with a wry smile.

Bianca's eyebrows went up and she looked pleadingly at her friend. "Promise! It's either promise, or…or we live like this forever."

"Ok, ok, I promise not to laugh."

Bianca walked over and sat down next to Maggie on the couch. Maggie rotated herself to the left, drawing her left leg up on to the couch with her so she could face Bianca. Bianca did the same by turning to her right. For just a moment, Bianca had a very vivid flashback to Maggie's confession of love on another couch a year and a day ago.

She lifted her hands brushed wisps of hair behind her ears, but kept her right hand clenched, holding onto whatever it was she had retrieved from the box. Lowering her hands to her lap, she tilted her head and stared down at her hands. They sat in silence for a few seconds while Bianca pondered how to start the conversation. "After…..after you asked me out I started to think about what would happen to us when the date was over."

"You and me both." said Maggie.

"And I knew it would be awkward, but I wasn't sure just how awkward. So, I got to thinking we needed to do something that drew a clear line between a date and when we are just sitting around being friends." She swallowed hard. "So, I did something about it, but then I thought maybe I shouldn't bring it up in case there wasn't a second date, but I think we made it pretty clear last night there will be."

Maggie grinned a tight-lipped smile. "Yeah, I think so too." she added reassuringly.

"So….with that in mind, maybe I had better bring this up, but…I still think you are going to laugh at me."

Maggie reached over and placed Bianca's clenched right fist between her palms. "Bianca, whatever it is, I promise not to laugh. You obviously put a lot of thought into this, and that means a lot, so I wouldn't laugh at something that I can tell you fretted over."

Bianca smiled. "Ok." she said softly. Maggie retracted her hands and Bianca turned her fist over so it was palm up and released her grip on what it was she was holding. Pooled in the cup of her hand were two silver necklaces, each with a pendant that resembled a rose on them.

"Wow…they're gorgeous." Maggie said.

"I had them made at a jewelry store over by the offices. I thought that whenever we were on a date, we could wear them and that would help us tell the difference better. Necklace on means we are on a date, necklace off means we are just Bianca and Maggie, best friends and roommates."

Maggie reached for one, and paused to look Bianca in the eyes. "May I?"

"Of course! They are exactly the same so take either one."

Maggie pulled one of them from Bianca's hand and held it in mid-air, draped over her index finger to examine it.

"So….what do you think?" Bianca asked, with obvious concern of ridicule in her voice.

"I think….I have a very bright friend who has excellent taste in jewelry." she said with a big, toothy grin. "I also think it is a fantastic idea, at least for these early stages while we try to figure everything out, and later on down the road, when we are more comfortable, we can see what happens without them."

Bianca let out a sigh of relief. "Ok, so wear them, only when it's a date…agreed?"

"Agreed." Maggie shifted the necklace to her left hand, and stuck out her right to shake on it. Bianca giggled and did the same, sealing the pact.

Maggie set the necklace on the table and turned to face the pile of electronics in front of her. "Now…how about my 'friend' helps me with these instructions so I can figure this thing out!"

Bianca smiled, rotated on the couch also and picked up the instruction book. "Your 'friend' would be more than happy to help you with that." she said, leaning to the right to bump shoulders with Maggie.

Both girls smiled and sat back to flip through the instruction book.


	2. Chapter 2

June 20th, 2005 – Morning

Maggie laid in her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She hadn't slept much through the night as something she had said was beginning to eat at her. On her date with Bianca she had been making jokes about how seeing Patrick and Guilia through the viewer had been like watching your parents make out. She was quickly realizing it wasn't as much of a joke as she originally thought.

After their tiresome day of shopping, an evening of fighting with a video camera and figuring out their dating confusion, she had headed to bed expecting to get a good night's rest. As she laid there in the dark, it was like some one had flipped a switch in her brain. She had begun to take inventory of the people in her life. How was each one connected to her? What did they mean to her? Could she count on them if her back was against the wall?

Sadly, she realized that list of people wasn't nearly as large as she would like. Sure, she had friends, but were they the type who would do anything for her, and her in return for them? And worst of all, what of her family? The people who are supposed to support you no matter what? Immediate, or extended, that was a bleak picture.

What also bothered her was the fact that even though she and Bianca had now made peace with their living arrangements, why did she immediately find something else to be upset about? Was there something in her DNA that just made her always look for a problem, even where one might not exist? Why couldn't she just be content with school, a small family to come home to, and a friend who just happened to be able to drive her anywhere in Paris she might want to go, in a limo no less?

Because it still wasn't true 'family' in the stereotypical sense. Everyone in her family had pretty much been a bad seed at some point or another. Frankie, her own twin, had never really been there for her. Leo was probably the closest thing to what family should be like, and her time with him was cut short due to his psycho mother. David had a good run, but that seemed to be an exception to the rule with him.

She was extremely lucky to have the people in her life she did, but it was obvious that at some point she was going to have to work on getting out there more and expanding her circle of friends again. Since arriving in Paris, her world had pretty much been restricted to this apartment, and these people. Perhaps the time was finally approaching where she needed to actually meet some new people?

"Maggie will you come in here please?" Bianca bellowed from the kitchen, interrupting her train of thought. She got up, threw a robe over her boxers and favorite Tigers jersey, and shuffled over to the door. She opened it a crack to look out. "Is he here yet?" was her muffled reply.

"Not yet, but I really need to talk to you before I go!"

Maggie opened the door the rest of the way, and stepped in to the kitchen. "Well, as long as he isn't here yet…what do you need?"

"Maggie, you are going to have to eventually face Patrick and just ignore what we saw."

"I'm glad you can erase that mental image…" she lowered her eyes to the floor, and bit her lower lip "but I'll talk to him soon. Promise."

Her expression, and response, lacked the humor Bianca expected, and it puzzled her, but she continued. "Good." She said with a smile. "I am probably going to be late tonight. We are working on the acquisition of that Italian clothing company now, and I am sure there will be some late nights for a couple weeks."

Maggie finally looked back up from the floor to address her taller friend. "Not a problem. I have to start on that big paper, so I will be locked up in my room. I will just take Munchkin in there with me."

Bianca looked a bit crestfallen. "Well….looks like we are off to a real good start to dating!"

Maggie smiled. "Well I guess we could have just skipped the date all together then if you feel we're off to a bad start."

Bianca smiled widely, her jaw dropping slightly as she playfully smacked at Maggie's arm. "Not on your life buster!"

Maggie's smile warmed even more. "It's not like we planned for our lives to be this busy Bianca, it's just part of who we are. I'll be done in two weeks and then I will be off for the summer and we will have plenty of time for each other."

"Yeah barring any of the major disasters that seem to follow us everywhere." she said with an eye roll. The buzzer on the intercom went off, indicating Patrick had arrived. Bianca walked over and pushed the reply button. "Good morning Patrick. Could you come up please? I have several boxes of files to bring down today."

"Of course Ma'am."

Maggie turned to walk towards her room. "And that's my cue to get out of here…"

"Maggie! You're going to have to face him at some point! Why not just get it out of the way?"

The shorter girl paused in mid-stride and sighed. "I know, I know…and you're probably right."

A knocking at the door indicated Patrick had made his way to the top floor. Bianca went to let him in. When she turned her back, Maggie again tried to make for her room, but Bianca just said "Nuh-uh" without ever even turning around to look. Maggie cursed under her breath. "Damn her knowing me so well!"

Bianca walked out to the front hall and opened the door just as Patrick walked out of the elevator. "Good morning." He said with a smile.

"Good morning Patrick." She replied, giving him a quick hug. "The files are in the living room, try not to hurt yourself lifting them, there's a bunch of them."

He placed a hand on his back, rubbing it, "I remember bringing them up here."

"Thank you." She said with a warm smile. As they walked towards the living room, she glanced towards the kitchen, and much to her non-surprise, there was no Maggie in sight. She rolled her eyes, and shook her head. As they walked in to the living room, Bianca got an idea. After Patrick had taken the first load of boxes, she quickly opened a box, pulled out a less important file, made a mental note of which one it was, and stuck it behind a couch cushion. "She only thinks she's escaped." She thought.

Patrick returned from placing the first boxes in the elevator. Bianca noticed as he walked through the entrance hall he was looking through the dining room to the kitchen to see if he could spot Maggie, and looked sad when he didn't see her. "Just these last three?" he asked as he approached.

"Yes, thank you Patrick."

"No problem Ma'am." Patrick paused for a moment as he stacked the boxes. "Ma'am, if I may ask, is everything alright with Maggie? I haven't heard from her since you came home from your date, and normally I at least see her in the morning."

She quickly thought of a cover story for her friend. "Oh, she's fine, we just had a long day of shopping yesterday and I think she's sleeping in."

Patrick seemed to know she was lying, but nodded and carried the boxes out in silence.

Bianca mumbled "Thanks Maggie." as she followed her driver out the door.

June 20th, 2005 – Noon

"I'm looking, but I'm not seeing it Bianca." Maggie said in to the phone as she walked around the dining room, looking under the table. "You're sure you read it in here?"

Just then there was a knock on the door. "Oh great! He's here and I haven't found it! Thanks a lot Bianca! I was just going to leave it outside the door for him." She paused to let Bianca speak for a moment. "I know I promised, but that doesn't necessarily mean the same day! If I didn't know better I would say you left this here on purpose!" She clicked her phone off and walked to the front door to open it and find just whom she expected, Patrick. "Hey, come on in, I haven't found it yet."

Patrick walked in quietly, noticing he hadn't received his customary hug. "She told me to look in the den." he said.

Maggie looked at him side ways. "Oh she did, did she?" She stormed off towards the den, Patrick in tow, mumbling about Bianca making up her mind about where it could be. After several minutes of looking in silence, turning up nothing, she stormed off towards the living room without saying a word. Patrick silently followed.

She looked around for a few moments, not seeing anything in plain sight. She got down on her knees, looked under the couch and coffee table, and as she got up, she came to be facing Patrick's chest. She stole a quick look up at his face and looked back down. "Excuse me…I need to check the rest of the room."

"No."

Maggie looked up at him, anger obvious in her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"I said 'no'."

"And just where do you get off telling me 'no'?"

"I'm saying 'no' because you are going to sit down and talk to me." He said as he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed downward lightly to make her sit on the couch.

Maggie was grateful it wasn't the other couch, but she didn't say anything. She folded her arms, set her jaw, and stared straight ahead. "I don't know what could be so important that it has to be discussed when we're supposed to be looking for Bianca's file."

Patrick sat down on her left and turned to face her. "What is important is us. Something is obviously bothering you. You didn't call me all weekend, which you usually do at least once just to say hello. You didn't come out of your room this morning and now you're hardly talking to me. So it's obvious something is bothering you, now, what is it?"

Maggie continued to stare straight ahead, keeping silent.

Patrick turned and sat back in the couch. "I can play this silent game all day if you want, but I would hope our friendship is strong enough that you would know you can tell me if something is wrong between us."

She paused, made to open her mouth, stopped, then tried again. "The other night, when Bianca and I were on our date, we….we saw you."

Patrick's eyebrows knitted together. "Saw me? I was here all night with Guilia."

"We saw you from up there." She said, making a gesture with her head to indicate the tower.

Patrick looked over his shoulder, still confused. Until finally he realized she meant the Eiffel Tower. "What in the world?"

Maggie closed her eyes, relaxing her jaw and took a deep breath. "We went up to the observation deck, we were playing around with the viewers, and I decided to see if I could see the apartment. Well, I could…just a bit better than I expected."

Patrick was puzzled still. "I'm sorry Maggie, I'm still not following."

She took a deep breath. "We saw you and Guilia on the couch…" she nodded towards the opposing couch "making out.

Turning slightly red, Patrick chuckled. "Oh, you did. Well… and this bothered you?"

"Yes." Maggie paused for a moment, appearing deep in thought before she continued. "You know, at first it was a joke. I told Bianca it was something like seeing your parents make out. You know it's happened at some point, but you just don't want to think about it."

Patrick chuckled. "Of course."

"But…" Maggie continued, her brow furrowing, still looking forward as if she was focusing on something very distant, "it wasn't just that, it made me realize just how close I've become to you since we arrived in Paris. Frighteningly close almost."

Patrick placed his hand on her shoulder "And I to you."

"And I think it's made me realize just how few friends and family I have had for a very long time. I have Bianca and Miranda of course, and I can always call Jamie, Reggie, and Dani, but beyond that, family is sparse." She could feel the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes and she wiped at them with the back of her hand. "Sure, Leo and David were family, but Leo died, David became so dark you didn't even want to go near him. Anna left town, and she was the closest thing I had to a mother for a very long time."

The tears started to come for real this time, Patrick pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her as he inched closer to her and put his arm around her to pull her in to his chest.

"And as silly as it sounds" she said between muffled sobs "that whole silly thing up in the tower made me realize just how alone I am….how my family always seems to end up abandoning me in some way. Either by dying, trying to kill me, or just turning in to complete asses."

Patrick let her cry for a moment before he said anything. "Do you remember how I told you once that I knew of Jonathon from his crossover with Bianca?" Maggie nodded. "Well, after that I got more curious about your past, and as I could tell there was a lot of pain there, I looked up very basic facts on you, nothing too personal, just your basic family information."

Maggie choked out a laugh as she wiped her nose. "Oh there was some good reading I bet."

"Maggie…the fact you can get out of bed every day is a wonder."

"Gee…thanks."

"I'm serious Maggie. Between your Aunt Vanessa's manipulations when you first got to Pine Valley…"

Maggie winced at what all that implied, but stayed silent.

"…to what happened with Jonathon, and everything in between, you are an amazingly strong woman. And you are not alone, as you said, you have Bianca and Miranda, you have the friends back in Pine Valley you mentioned, and I hope you would count Guilia and I amongst those friends."

"Of course I do!" she said, pulling away from him slightly so she could turn and look at him.

"Good, because as you said you thought of us as parents when you saw us the other night, we do think of you and Bianca as daughters. And as such, there is nothing I wouldn't do for either of you."

"But it just feels so weird you know?" She said, her crying subsiding. "We've only known each other four months, but I feel like I've connected with you more than I've connected with my own family. And I almost have to wonder if everything that's happened since I got here is even real. Everyone I get close to…something always seems to go wrong. And I'm almost as afraid of that happening again as having no one around in my life."

"It is most certainly real Maggie, that I know for sure. As for the rest of the world, you feel you are damned if you do and damned if you don't."

"Basically. People are slow to warm up to me, you either love me or hate me for some reason, and even when they do love me, it always seems to end up badly."

"I would think it difficult for anyone to resist warming to you." He said with a large grin.

Her mouth dropped open with a hint of a smile. "And just what does that mean?"

"Let's just say, when you enter a room…you're a 'presence' that can not be ignored."

"Whatever that means!" she said with a chuckle as she turned and fell back against his arm again. Her face went serious as she continued. "All kidding aside, I'm sorry for this little outburst, and avoiding you this weekend."

Patrick smiled down at the top of her head. "There is nothing to apologize for. You've had a lot of new things to deal with, moving to a new country, dating Bianca, going back to school, emotions are to be expected."

"Yeah, I suppose. I just would have never thought the sight of you kissing your wife would do it!"

"It wasn't that, I don't think. It was that made you think about your relationships to everyone."

"I just wish I knew why I keep doing this to myself." She said, her voice sounding exasperated.

"Because you don't think you're worthy of being loved." He said in a calm voice.

Maggie paused, looked at him, studying to see what he knew. "Did Bianca say something to you about that?"

"No she did not, but it is just basic human nature Maggie. Until you feel you are worthy, you will always look for the bad in your life. You will always be waiting for the hammer to fall. And the first step to conquering those feelings is to learn to be happy with who you are."

"You're probably right, heck, I know you're right, but who knows when that part will happen. I just would like some time to actually enjoy life though, without all of the constant worrying I seem to do."

"It'll come, just give it time."

Silence fell over them, nothing awkward, just the kind that signifies that a conversation has reached it's natural conclusion, and to go any further would be just to rehash what had already been said. Maggie smiled as she absent-mindedly played with the handkerchief in her hand. "Just to be safe, could you restrict making out with your wife to your own apartment?" she said as she looked up at him with a smirk.

"I don't know…could you restrict your use of viewing platforms to looking at the things tourists should look at?" he said back with a grin.

"Hey! It is our apartment after all, we had a right to look!"

"Fine, fine. Truce?"

"Truce." She said as she turned and hugged him around the neck. "Thanks Patrick, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Nor what I would do without you." He said as he returned the hug.

Maggie stood up, wiped her face one more time, went to hand him back his handkerchief, but stopped, and shoved it in her pocket. "Yeah…think I'll run that through the laundry for you first."

He laughed as he stood up. "No rush."

"Ok…we have got to get back to finding this file!"

Patrick pulled out his mobile. "Give me a moment, I think I can take care of that quickly." He dialed a number. "Ms. Montgomery? We talked, now fess up where you hid the file." Patrick stood there for a moment, he then leaned over, moved the couch cushion, and pulled out the file as Maggie shook her head. "Yes, it's here. I am sure you really did need the third quarter profit reports of the ice cream factory immediately, no doubt in my mind. I'll see you in a few minutes." And he hung up his phone and shoved it back in his pocket.

"Did you know she planned this all along?"

"No, but it became obvious as soon as we talked."

Maggie stared at him for a moment as if she was assessing him. "You know, you scare me just a teeny, tiny bit sometimes."

"Only a teeny bit? I'll have to try harder in the future." He said with an enormous grin.


	3. Chapter 3

July 3rd, 2005 – Afternoon

Maggie hit enter on her laptop keyboard and let out a sigh of relief. She leaned back in the desk chair, and rested her head on the back so she could look at the ceiling. "Done!" she declared. "My Summer can finally begin…all four weeks of it."

A feeling of accomplishment washed over her. She had barely had time to think of anything else for the past two weeks. Now though, now she could implement the one thing she had made time to ponder, the reward she had set for herself at the end of this mammoth project. A second date with Bianca.

"No time like the present either!" she thought as she stood up and walked over to the door that led to the kitchen of the apartment. Bianca sat at the butcher's block, sipping tea and flipping through a manila folder. She didn't even seem to notice Maggie walk in, but Miranda certainly did. She grinned from ear to ear and used the kitchen cabinets to pull herself up. Once standing, she took some very wobbly steps towards her nanny.

"Well hey there Munchkin! Did you miss Auntie Maggie while she was locked up in her room?"

Bianca jumped. "Maggie! I didn't even hear you come in! Are you done with your paper?"

"Yep!" Maggie said as she scooped up Miranda into her arms and smothered the little girl's face in kisses. "All done, finally!"

Bianca closed the folder she had been reading and smiled. "Well good! I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come out of there! You've either been there or the library for almost two weeks now."

"I know, but I had to ace this paper, and I think I did. So now, I have some time to relax…at least until August 4th when I start all new classes." she said, rolling her eyes.

Bianca smiled. "Well, at least I get to spend sometime with you finally. Everything is wrapped up at Cambias with that new merger, so I think I will actually be able to stay home once in awhile now."

Maggie took her usual spot across from Bianca at the butcher block, still holding Miranda. "You mean…we might…see each other for more than 5 minutes?" Maggie said with an exaggerated gasping sound.

"I know, crazy idea huh?"

"Very!" Maggie looked down at the folder in front of Bianca and saw it was the folder she carried her printed out emails from the folks in Pine Valley. Bianca preferred reading things on paper, so she always printed out the emails and would read them in the limo or while drinking her tea. "Anything new and exciting back in the Valley of the Pines?" she asked, knowing something was always happening.

"Oodles, as always. It's looking more and more like this 'Di' person JR hired as Little A's nanny really is Dixie, his mom. Kendall, Greenlee, and Simone found out where Ryan has been going to at night, it's some sort of fight club. Seems he still doesn't know how to deal with the death of his brothers."

Maggie lowered her eyes. thinking of how part of that guilt was Ryan shooting his brother, Jonathon, in a cave. No matter how hard Maggie tried, she still winced a bit every time she thought of Jon.

Bianca noticed, but said nothing, wanting to quickly change the subject. "Maria finally left for California with Anita. According to Simone, she is about to 'rope' in Ethan at long last."

Maggie chuckled. "Poor Ethan….that girl will swallow him whole given half a chance."

"I know…I am pondering if I should warn him or not. I am leaning towards the 'not'."

"Good call. How's your mom's new show coming along?"

Bianca laughed. "Well, she wanted to hire Kendall to be her producer, but Kendall talked her way out of it somehow and she hired a new guy in town named Josh Madden, who I am still not totally clear on who he is, but mom seems to like him. And Kendall…something is going on there. She says she has a business favor to ask me, which always makes me nervous."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "And with good reason because it's never anything good."

"True enough." Bianca replied. "So, enough news from home. How are we going to celebrate us both having free time? Tomorrow's July 4th, and since the French of course don't celebrate it, I thought maybe we could just do something ourselves."

"Well…funny you should bring that up. I have actually been pondering something myself."

Bianca leaned forward, suddenly very intrigued. "And what would that be pray tell?"

"Well…" Maggie started staring at her fingernails "we have a very narrow window of free time for the both of us….maybe it's time we tried for that second date."

The corners of Bianca's grin threatened to meet on the back of her head it was so large. "I was hoping that was what you were thinking. So tomorrow night? I had better call Patrick now since it's such short notice and…" Bianca rose to walk over to the phone.

"Bianca, wait. I had another idea." She stood up and walked over to her friend, so that Miranda was between them, still resting in her arms. "I was thinking maybe we could take Miranda with us this time? You know, make it more like a…'family' date." She said, her face scrunching up in uncertainty.

Bianca got tears in her eyes, but choked them back. "Are…are you sure? That's kind of a large step to include her."

"Well, it's not like this is exactly the normal dynamic anyway, so why not?"

Bianca raised her right hand and stroked the back of her daughter's head. "I think that sounds lovely actually. Where do you think we should go though?"

Maggie's grin was the large one now. "Well….where does every kid want to go?"

Realization passed over Bianca's face. "Oh no…you have got to be kidding me! You can't mean…."

July 4th, morning

"Disneyland Paris." Bianca muttered. "Our second date and you suggest a theme park. Is this an allegory for our relationship? Our dates are like theme park rides?"

Maggie stared at Bianca for a moment. "You know…you get oddly philosophical when you're cranky. And hey, this almost wasn't a date! Who was it that almost forgot their necklace this morning?" Maggie inquired with a self-satisfied tone as she reached up and played with her own necklace for emphasis.

"That would be me." Bianca said ashamedly. "I still think you are using my daughter as a cover story just so you could come here."

Maggie grinned and turned to Bianca, her hands resting on Miranda's stroller. "Why Bianca Montgomery, I am shocked you would say such a thing! This is merely for your daughter's enjoyment!"

"Uh huh." Bianca muttered as she closed the door to the limo. She watched as Patrick got the baby bag out of the trunk and handed it to Maggie. "Patrick, I told you this was unnecessary. We could have just gotten one of the company fleet cars and driven ourselves here."

Patrick smiled at Maggie before turning to Bianca with a more serious look on his face. "And again I must protest to this whole idea. This is far too public of a place for you to be without at least one member of the security detail."

Bianca smiled at him and placed a hand on his right shoulder. "Patrick, it's going to be fine. We're just on a date, this place is so public, we probably won't even be noticed. I'm far more worried about….other things, than my general security today." Patrick looked worried at the comment, but Bianca gave him a reassuring smile. Go on, go spend time with Guilia for a couple of hours, I'll call you when we're ready to leave."

Patrick set his jaw, but finally sighed in defeat. "Yes Ma'am, but I won't be far if you need me." He gave Bianca a quick hug, Miranda a kiss on the head, and Maggie a longer hug. As he broke the hug with her, he whispered a wish of 'good luck', and then got in the car to leave.

The girls watched him drive away and waved as he did. Maggie finally turned to Bianca with a smirk on your face. "So, I don't get it…what do you have against Disneyland?"

Bianca looked down while reaching up to tuck wisps of hair behind her ears. "What makes you think I have anything against it?"

"I don't know, you didn't seem thrilled yesterday when I suggested it, and you made that comment to Patrick about worrying about something other than security, so what is it?"

"I have my reasons." Bianca said as she turned to walk towards the gates.

"What? Bad experience in the Tea Cups?" Maggie said as she pushed Miranda's stroller along in front of her.

"I'd rather not discuss it."

"Did your flying Dumbo come loose and you soared across the park?"

"You know…most people know when it might be time to change the subject when they are on a date."

"Yeah, but I'm not most people now am I?" Maggie asked with a squinty-eyed smirk.

"You can say that again." Was Bianca's muttered reply.

As Maggie opened her mouth to say more, Miranda squealed with joy. Both women looked down at the little girl, and then up to see Mickey and Minnie quickly approaching with a man in a suit. "Ms. Montgomery? I am Louis with Guest Services, please accept our warmest welcome to you and your family."

Bianca grinned, not wishing to correct him, but she liked hearing the three of them referred to as a "family".

"We wish you had called us sooner about your visit so that we could have arranged a more private time for you." Louis continued.

"Oh that's fine, we're perfectly happy attending during the normal hours." Bianca replied.

"Well, even so, we can offer you special passes that will allow you to bypass the normal lines." He said, holding out three passes on lanyards, which Bianca took. "Just wear them at all times and you can use the back entrances to the rides. And if you need anything while here, please do not hesitate to call my mobile, I am available to you at all times." He added, handing Bianca a business card.

"Thank you, but we really don't want to be a bother." Bianca said with a sheepish grin, handing Maggie two of the passes.

"Well it is certainly not a problem to make sure the head of Cambias Industries, her daughter, and...companion have a good time while here."

Bianca had to admit, even with the awkward pause, she was enjoying the acknowledgment of Maggie. She did wonder how her friend was taking it though. "Well…there is just one thing?"

"Of course, anything!"

"Can you take a quick picture of all of us with your two friends here?" she said, indicating the costumed characters at his side, who were already keeping Miranda immensely amused.

"Oh we can certainly do better than that for you!" snapping his fingers and a professional photographer appeared seemingly from nowhere.

Maggie groaned. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Bianca looked at her surprised. "Why do you say that?"

Maggie closed her eyes and hung her head. "I have an odd feeling this picture is going to be turned in to a Christmas card."

Bianca's eyes lit up. "I hadn't even thought of that!"

Maggie picked Miranda out of her stroller and handed her to Bianca as they turned to take their places with the characters for the picture. "You didn't even want to come here! How is this embarrassing photo fair?"

Bianca took a moment to arrange Miranda for the photo. "Consider it payment for dragging me here against my will…now smile."

Maggie muttered something indecipherable under her breath as the picture was taken.

July 4th, 2005 – Afternoon

"Maggie! I swear to god, if you try putting that pizza in her mouth again, I'm going to…well I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'll do something!" Bianca said gaspingly between laughs.

"What? I don't know what your talking about!" the shorter friend said, hiding a pizza slice behind her back.

"She's too young for it!" Bianca scolded as she pulled Miranda's stroller closer to her.

"You're such a party pooper!" Maggie said, while bringing the offending slice out from behind her back to take a bite.

"Oh yeah, that's me, Queen of the Buzzkill!" Bianca said jokingly as she moved her salad around with a fork.

"So…" Maggie paused to swallow her bite "where to next?"

"Well, we've done Main Street, Frontierland and Adventureland."

"I need to make a stop back on Main Street for a present as we leave, by the way."

Bianca looked at her quizzically. "A present? For who"

Maggie grinned, looked down at her pizza to take a bite while tilting her head side-to-side. Just before she bit down, she said, in a sing songy voice "For Patrick."

Bianca dropped her head and rested her forehead against the back of her right hand. "I don't even want to know what your going to do to him this time."

Maggie hummed to herself in a satisfied way. "Sooooo….Fantasyland next?"

Bianca cleared her throat. "I don't know…it's getting kind of late and I think Miranda would really enjoy the cars in Discoveryland a lot…"

The shorter girl reared back, pointing at Bianca with the index finger of her right hand "A-ha! So whatever it is you don't like about Disneyland is in Fantasyland!" Maggie rocketed forward, gripped the table on either side of her body as she went, and leaned as far forward as she could. "You hurled on the Tea Cups didn't you?"

"NO! I….I just think we should get to Discoveryland is all!" Bianca looked down at her salad and moved it around with her fork with conviction this time.

"Dumbo sailed across the park?"

"You already asked that…no."

"Crocodile in the Peter Pan ride gives you nightmares?" Maggie asked, as she leaned back.

"…no."

Maggie folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. She stared at Bianca, squinting her eyes until they were slits, assessing her friend. "It's A Small World creeps you out." It was a statement this time, not a question.

Bianca stopped moving her fork, but didn't look up.

"Big, brave, Bianca, is scared of little moving dolls of the world."

"Have you not seen the Chucky movies?!" Bianca blurted out while finally looking up.

Maggie leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling of Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost as she laughed. "Bianca…bravest woman I've ever known…is scared of little dolls."

Bianca grumbled as she went back to her salad. "Yeah…well…who had to hold my hand during The Phantom Manor huh?"

Maggie looked back at Bianca now with a satisfied, lopsided grin. "Maybe I just wanted an excuse to hold your hand…ever think about that?"

"Um…no…I hadn't." said Bianca while turning bright red.

"This is a date, remember?" Maggie again played with her rose necklace for emphasis.

Bianca's blush deepened. "I know, I just hadn't thought of that…and you don't have to make up an excuse to hold my hand."

"I know that silly." Maggie slid her hand across the table and held it out in invitation to her friend. "They're just dolls Bianca."

Bianca tentatively slid her left hand across the table, and when their hands met, they . interlaced their fingers while their hands rested in front of Miranda. "I know that, but…" Bianca sighed "one night I had been told to go to bed by my dad, and I didn't want to. So after he went to bed, I snuck back down stairs to watch TV."

"Was this before or after you tried burning down Erica's house?"

Bianca glared at Maggie who was grinning her devilish grin. "After…smartass."

"Wow…you really were a young rebel."

"Do you want to hear this story or not?"

"Yes, yes, please continue."

"Anyway, so I snuck downstairs, turned on the TV and I see a movie with a cute looking doll in it and…well…he wasn't so cute after awhile. Little did I know that two weeks later my dad was going to surprise me with a trip to Disneyland and…It's A Small World gave me nightmares for weeks."

Maggie tried to subdue it, but finally she burst out laughing.

Bianca pulled her hand back, crossed her arms, and shot out her lower lip in a pout. "It's not funny!"

Maggie reached up to wipe away tears of laughter with the back of her right hand. "Yes, I'm sorry to say, it is!"

Bianca chuckled. "Ok, it's a little funny, but still, it really scared me as a kid!"

"Come on….go on It's A Small World with me." Maggie said in a subdued tone as she reached her hand across the table again.

Eyeing it suspiciously, Bianca finally gave in and held Maggie's hand again. "Alright…but no laughing at me if I get scared!"

"I promise not to laugh….too much."

"God…what ever do I see in you?" Bianca asked in an exasperated tone as she went to stand up.

Maggie followed suit as she replied. "I ask myself that every day."

July 4th, 2005 – Late Afternoon

"Come on…you said you'd go with me! I let you put it off, but now it's time to suck it up and go!"

Maggie was tugging on Bianca's hand, pulling her towards the It's A Small World boat that awaited them. "I know I did, but…I've changed my mind!" Bianca tried to turn and walk away, but Maggie quickly tugged harder pulling her towards the boat.

"Oh no you don't! Get in there Montgomery!" She playfully shoved Bianca in to the back row of the boat, and then snatched Miranda out of her stroller, plopping down next to her friend. She placed Miranda on Bianca's lap, and they settled in before their boat pulled away from the dock.

At first Bianca just tensed up, but kept her eyes open…until they made the first left turn and the dolls started appearing. She quickly shut her eyes, turned to Maggie, and buried her head in her friend's shoulder.

"Are you going to stay like this for the whole ride?" inquired Maggie.

"Yes!"

"How are you ever going to get over this fear if you refuse to look up?" Maggie was barely containing her laughter by now. "Look! Miranda is enjoying it!"

As if on cue Miranda, let out a shriek of giggles as they passed under a pair of dolls standing in front of a windmill. She kicked her feet while watching the little dolls twirl and sing for her amusement, but with each change in the music, Bianca seemed to press her face deeper into Maggie's shoulder.

Maggie's chuckling continued. "Bianca! We've been on the ride for maybe a minute, at this rate, I'm going to have a permanent mark in my shoulder from your face!"

"GOOD! I can not believe you made me come in here!"

"Bianca! Chucky was a movie, you were a kid, nothing is going to happen! I don't see any knives on any of them."

"You never did with him either until it was too late!" came the muffled reply.

Maggie left it alone for a moment, hoping that Bianca would calm down on her own, but she refused to even lift her head for a moment to look around. Miranda was still squealing and kicking her feet, her head spinning so quickly from left to right, Maggie was sure it would pop off at any moment.

As they passed through the portion representing India, Maggie decided to do running commentary, in hopes it would calm Bianca down and maybe get her to look up. "Oh look at that, is that the Taj Mahal? Bianca, is that supposed to be the Taj Mahal?"

"I'm not looking! Don't think you can make me look!"

Maggie just shook her head. She opted not to say anything about the creepy looking Sphinx rocking it's head back and forth, but then she thought she had the ultimate weapon. She reached her left arm around Bianca so she could place her hands on either side of her head and lift it. "Quick! This you have to see! A zebra and a rhino playing drums!"

Bianca cursed her, she hadn't been ready for Maggie to move her head, and she had succeeded in pulling it off of her shoulder. Before Bianca could close her eyes, she did see it, and it did make her giggle a bit.

"A-ha! You looked!"

"Not by choice!"

"But still, you looked, and nothing came out to get you. Besides, wouldn't you rather see it coming instead of being taken by surprise?"

Bianca was still leaning against Maggie, even though her head was turned. "Not funny Stone."

Maggie smiled that she had managed to get her friend to finally open her eyes, but she could tell she was still tense. It was then that she realized her arm was still behind Bianca from grabbing her head. She very tentatively slid it down so her left hand rested on Bianca's shoulder, and she squeezed it. "Just look how much fun Miranda is having though. Doesn't that make it seem less threatening?" She whispered in her ear.

Bianca looked down at the top of her daughter's head and smiled at how in to the ride Miranda seemed to be. "Yeah…it does, as long as she's happy, it does seem to make everything seem a bit more ok."

They rode like this for the next few minutes, pointing things out to each other, giggling about some of the silly things they saw, and with each second, Bianca seemed to become more relaxed. Maggie never stopped being aware though of the fact they were riding so close together, her arm around Bianca, like an actual couple enjoying a date, and it filled her with happiness they had finally gotten to such a comfortable spot in their life.

The more she thought about it though, the more she realized she was spending more time staring down at the top of Bianca's head resting on her shoulder than at what was happening with the singing, dancing dolls. And stayed like this for the remainder of the ride.

As they passed through the last section, by the can-can girls and children playing at a fair, Bianca turned her head to look up at Maggie and say something, but lost her train of thought when she looked up in to her friend's, smiling face and deep, thoughtful eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, the music fading to the background, the ride dropping away around them, and they stared at each other. Bianca wasn't even aware until she had already tilted her head, and closed her eyes that Maggie had leaned in to kiss her.

It was gentle, soft, warm, caring, and best of all, not induced by panic or a moment of emotional distress like their three previous kisses. This one was completely mutual, in the moment, fitting, and right. The only thing that jarred them out of the kiss was the boat behind them bumping in to them as they came to the end of the ride and waited their turn to off load. Neither had even realized they were back outside again in the daylight.

They broke their kiss, and smiled at each other. Bianca hugged Miranda to her just a bit harder, and snuggled in to her friend's shoulder even more while they waited their turn. She was content, happy, and suddenly, It's A Small World was now the most magical ride to her of them all.

July 4th, 2005 – Evening

Patrick pulled up to the pre-appointed meeting spot, having received his call from Bianca to come pick them up. He smiled warmly as he saw them holding hands when he pulled up. He tried to stop grinning when he got out of the car, but it wasn't easy.

He greeted them and started to lift Miranda out of her stroller so he could fold it up and put it in the trunk. As he walked over to put her in the seat, Maggie stopped him. "Hold up buster, we have something we need to do first. Turn around."

Patrick turned around, holding Miranda in his arms. "Does she need changing?"

"Nope!" Maggie pulled something out of a shopping bag.

Patrick groaned. "You didn't."

"I did!" She stood on her tiptoes and placed a set of Mickey Mouse ears on his head. Stitched in the front, in gold thread, was the name "Patrick" written out in cursive writing. "Oh Louis!" she said in her sing-songy-I'm-up-to-no-good way.

Two men stepped out from behind a bush. "Yes ma'am, when ever your ready."

Maggie quickly stood on Patrick's right, putting her left arm behind his back, Bianca mirrored the move on this other side. "Ok everyone, now this is this year's Christmas card!"

"I whole heartedly agree!" chirped Bianca

Patrick rolled his eyes skyward and muttered "Oh lord save me from these two!" as the photographer Louis had used earlier, snapped the Bianca Montgomery 2005 Christmas Card picture.


	4. Chapter 4

July 4th – 10:08 PM

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open to the penthouse floor of Bianca Montgomery's apartment building. She quickly stepped across the hall to unlock the door, while Maggie Stone tried as quietly as possible to push Miranda's stroller over the elevator floor gap without waking the little girl.

"There we are." Bianca said as the deadbolt clicked, and she shoved the door open with her shoulder.

Maggie pushed the stroller in the door and down the hall to the expansive living room. She then moved around to the front and picked up the dead-to-the-world littlest member of the trio of women. "She is so out of it. Should we just skip her bath and put her down?"

"I don't think we have a choice. She'd be totally dead weight in the bath, and not easy to handle." Replied Bianca. "Let's just get her upstairs, get her changed and put her down for the night. We'll deal with a bath first thing in the morning."

The women walked up the stairs as quietly as they could, Maggie holding Miranda, Bianca carrying the baby bag. They quickly changed her in to some more sleep appropriate clothing, put her in the crib, and both gave her a kiss goodnight on the forehead before leaving the child's room for the second floor landing.

Both of them walked over to the railing and leaned forward, resting with their arms folded in front of them. Fatigue obvious on their faces from their day long date at Disneyland Paris. They stood silently, staring across the open-space to the large windows that looked at the buildings across the street and the city beyond them.

Bianca squinted her eyes and let out a huge yawn, followed by a head shake to try to keep herself awake for 10 more seconds. "I'm so tired that I'm thinking this landing may be a good place to sleep."

"I might just join you."

There was an awkward pause and they looked at each other for a moment, grins creeping across their faces.

"Well…not in that way mind you…just the sleeping and…you know…the sleeping."

Bianca reached over with her left hand and squeezed Maggie's right shoulder reassuringly. "I knew what you meant Maggie. This was only our second date…I'm not that easy." She said with an impish grin.

Maggie's jaw dropped and she turned to face her friend. "Oh and you think I am? Whatever Montgomery, whatever!" She lowered her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.

There was a pregnant pause then, neither girl sure of what to say or do. Bianca finally broke the silence. "I…I had a really nice time today."

Maggie continued to stare at the floor, but got an enormous grin on her face. "Even though I made you ride It's A Small World?"

Bianca moved closer to Maggie and took her hands in to hers. "Especially because you made me ride It's A Small World."

This made Maggie look up into Bianca's eyes, searching them for any sign of her hiding her true feelings. She found no hint. "And…um…never mind." She said, her face turning bright red and looking down again.

Bianca bent her knees slightly trying to look up in to Maggie's eyes, a grin across her face and a chuckle in her voice. "What?"

"Nothing." Said Maggie, her blush deepening.

Realization crossed Bianca's face. "You were going to ask how I felt about the kiss weren't you?"

"Yeah…but that's stupid."

"Why is it stupid?"

"Well…" Maggie raised her head again, but turned it towards the windows. "How often do you ask someone after you kiss them how they felt about it?"

"Not very often, true, but we don't tend to do anything by the book now do we?"

Maggie snorted out a laugh. "You can say that again."

"So….go ahead and ask me."

Maggie bit her lower lip and turned to look at Bianca. "Bianca…did…did you mind that I kissed you on the ride?" Maggie rolled her eyes. "Ok, I'm just a huge dork now."

Bianca couldn't help but chuckle at her friend. She put her hands on both of Maggie's shoulders and looked at her. "You are not! And as for the kiss…" Bianca took a deep breath, and looked up towards the ceiling just slightly, almost wistfully, pausing "well..."

Maggie couldn't take any more. "You're just trying to torture me now aren't you."

"You know it!" Bianca said, breaking out in to full on laughter. She bent forward slightly at the waist from the force of it, keeping her hands on Maggie's shoulders. She looked back up after a few seconds, still chuckling. "It was wonderful Maggie. It was everything I had ever hoped for. Neither of us went running from the other afterwards. There was no panic, no sense of it being wrong, it was finally everything a kiss should be….tender, meaningful…and most importantly, right."

Maggie began blushing again. "It was for me too. And…and I can't wait until our next date so I can do it again." Her blush was to a point now it looked like her head might explode.

Bianca stepped a little closer to her, their bodies almost touching. "Well…if I'm not mistaken…we both still have our necklaces on, which means that technically we're still on our date."

"You know…I didn't realize it, but you're right." She looked up in to Bianca's eyes, and they just stood there staring at each other. Maggie felt that same world-melting away sensation she had gotten sitting in the boat earlier in the day. Everything around them was disappearing and it was just they who were left, standing on that second floor landing, There was no world outside the windows, no one else to disturb them. It was just two young women in the early stages of a real relationship they both had worked towards.

Bianca slid her hands down to Maggie's waist and pulled her slightly closer, their eyes never breaking contact. Finally, after another moment of staring, they tilted their heads, Maggie to her left, Bianca to her's, closed their eyes, and their lips met in a soft, tentative kiss of early love. It was brief, warm, and just as good as their last. Maggie couldn't help herself, she had to go back for one more quick touch of the lips before they broke away.

Both of them stood there for a moment, their eyes closed, enjoying the warm sensation that spread through out their bodies. When their eyes finally opened, they smiled at each other in a satisfied way.

"I…um…should probably head on 'home'." Maggie said, using her fingers to simulate air quotes around the word home.

"Yeah, morning tends to come early when there's a baby about."

It was obvious neither woman really wanted to call an end to this, but they knew they had to.

"So…do you think…I could ask you out again?" Maggie asked playfully.

"I think you better if you know what's good for you!" Bianca said, punching Maggie in the shoulder.

Maggie reached up and rubbed her shoulder jokingly as she began walking backwards towards the spiral staircase that led down to the living room. "Well…we'll have to see. You know I have a full dating schedule and all."

Bianca's jaw was the one to drop in disbelief this time. "You're horrible."

"Yeah, but you keep saying yes to my dates anyway." Maggie started down the stairs, pausing at the last second. "See you in the morning?"

"Oh, I think I may be around, you know, seeing as I live here."

Maggie smiled. "Good…I wouldn't have it any other way." And she disappeared down the stair case.

Bianca turned and looked out the windows again. She was still basking in the afterglow of such a wonderful day. She reached up and played with her necklace for a moment. She looked down and smiled at it before she pulled it up to her lips and gave it a little kiss. "I think you may be the best idea I've ever had!"

She made a little giggly sound to herself and headed off towards her bedroom, a new bounce in her step and an enormous, face-encompassing grin on her face. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had felt this…this…'swoony' was the only word that seemed to apply.

Once in her room, she started peeling off the dirt laden clothes of the day. Disneyland Paris may be one of the happiest places on Earth, but it sure left one feeling like the dirt of the world had come home with you. She stepped in her bathroom and started the shower running to heat up the water.

As she turned towards the sink to undo the ribbon she had pulled her hair back with, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She paused for a moment, leaned forward, and stared at her face in the mirror. Even here, staring at herself in the slowly fogging reflective surface, she could see how much happier she felt. "Maggie kissed me….twice!" she said, almost as if holding a conversation with herself.

The dangling necklace caught her eye as it swayed, its light reflecting back in the mirror. She reached up and held it with both hands to look down at it, a slight pout crossing her lips. She sighed. "I guess I have to take you off sometime don't I?" She reached behind her neck, undid the clasp, and pooled it in her hand once it was released. She looked down at it there, laying in her palm, and marveled at how much joy such a tiny thing could bring her.

Steam from the shower was finally visible all around her. She gave the necklace one last smile before depositing it in the small jewelry box she kept next to her sink. She took off the last of her clothing, got in the shower, closed the door behind her and quietly started singing "It's a small world after all…."

July 4th – 11:00 PM

Maggie sat down in front of her computer, hair still damp from her shower, a robe loosely wrapped around her, and popped the memory card from her camera in to the computer. She clicked on the icon and started transferring all of the pictures to her hard drive. Once done, she opened the folder up and started looking through them, trying to pick out which ones to send out in her daily Munchkin report email.

All of them from today were adorable. Miranda with various costumed characters…on the rides…ice cream on her nose…but she was drawn to all of the pictures that showed Bianca. As she clicked through the pictures, each time she saw that raven hair, her heart fluttered just a little bit more. She could feel how big the smile was on her face without even having to look at herself in a mirror.

She was particularly taken with a picture of Bianca holding Miranda in her arms outside of the It's A Small World ride. It was just before they had gotten on, and Bianca's expression was…well…less than happy, but something about it, maybe it was the furrowed brow, the squint of her eyes….no…it was the pout of her lips that was enthralling her.

Maggie shook her head, and adjusted herself in the chair. She thought about sending that picture out, but there was some annoying older guy in a brown leather bombers jacket in the framing of it that annoyed her. She thought about cropping him out, but it would have made the picture way off center. "Thanks a lot buddy…and who the hell still wears brown leather jackets anymore? And in July?" She mumbled something about French being known for their fashion sense and moved on.

Finally she decided on the shot of Bianca holding Miranda up to the camera, ice cream on her nose, as they sat under a shade tree in Frontierland. Cliché, but still she was adorable…they were both adorable. She shook her head again and laughed at herself. "Stay focused on the prize Stone. Finish this up and you get to dry your hair and then off to bed."

"The Daily Munchkin" was almost like a job any more, but a job she enjoyed. She cleaned up the picture, attached it to the email, wrote up a short description of how the day had gone, and sent it out to the email list of anxious "Miranda-holics" back in Pine Valley. She also quickly sent a private email to Reggie giving him a few more details about how the date went, as she knew he would ask, but left out the kisses. She figured a girl had to have some secrets.

July 4th – 11:15 PM

Bianca was finally settling in to bed. She had taken a nice long shower, dried her hair, and was just checking her email before heading to sleep. July 4th may be a holiday in America, but it wasn't in Europe and she knew there would be work email piling up.

She answered the more pressing ones, deleted the ones telling her of how to grow parts of anatomy she did not even possess, and sent Reggie a quick note telling him of the delightful date she and Maggie had shared. She knew he would be asking anyway, but she opted to leave out any mentions of kissing. He had always been the biggest supporter of her and Maggie getting together, so she always felt she owed him a note when there was a date, or even significant movement towards that end.

She closed her laptop, laid back in bed, and tried to go to sleep. It wasn't coming easily though. It's odd sleeping in what is technically the same apartment with someone you just kissed seriously for the first time that day, but pretending they are separate residences. So odd, but yet, it seemed so 'them' for some reason.

Her eyes finally closed, and she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face….and a silver rose necklace around her neck.

July 5th – 2:00 AM

Maggie had been trying to sleep for the better part of two hours now, but it just wasn't happening. As she laid in bed, her eyes closed, a slight grin kept creeping across her face. "That kiss on the ride….holy momma, that kiss." She thought. It was unlike any kiss she had experienced before. "Jonathon? Hell no! Jamie? Not quite. Henry? Nope. Tim? Uh uh. Gregory Dawson behind the lunch room in fourth grade? Fraid not Greg!"

This wasn't to say the kiss on the landing was bad, mind you. Both the kisses with Bianca had been sweet, tender, and just…wow and, most important of all, finally done in mutual, non-panic stricken moments. "Heh" she thought "I thought for sure after the kiss on the plane, we were at three strikes and you're out."

She could finally feel sleep washing over her, and she wasn't going to fight it any more. Off in the distance, she heard a very faint ringing…Bianca's mobile. Maggie mumbled "Dear god Reggie…learn the time difference would ya?" as she drifted off to sleep…her hand laying on top of a silver rose necklace around her neck.

July 5th – 2:03 AM

Bianca's mobile was ringing. She sat up right grumbling something about Reggie and time zones. "Hello?" she asked in a groggy voice.

"Ms. Montgomery?"

Bianca cleared her throat. "Yes…Patrick? What is it? Why are you calling at this hour?"

"I'm on my way to meet a Cambias security team in front of your building and then…we need to talk. I'll be there in under 5 minutes and then I'll come up and see you as soon as I finish consulting with them."

There was a clicking sound, and he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

July 5th – 2:15 AM

Bianca ran back in to her bedroom, having just checked to make sure Miranda was in her crib, and was now scrambling to throw on some clothes. She had no idea what Patrick was coming over about, but if it involved a Cambias security team, she knew it wasn't good. Patrick had never called them out before, so this was certainly troublesome to her.

Clothes located, and put on, she ran back through her bathroom again, pausing only long enough to pick up a ribbon for her hair. She passed in to Miranda's room, grabbed a baby monitor, made sure her daughter was asleep one more time, and bolted down the stairs as quickly as she could, tying her hair back as she went. She wanted to be waiting at the front door when Patrick arrived to minimize the chance of waking Maggie. "Oh god…Maggie!" she thought.

Quickly she made her way to the kitchen, and as quietly as possible, opened the door to Maggie's room to see if she was there. Sure enough, she could see a tussle of blonde hair strewn over the pillow, and one bare leg on top of the covers. "Definitely Maggie," she thought to herself with a grin.

Maggie checked on, Bianca headed to the front door, just as she heard the elevator ding. She made to open the door, but hesitated, unsure if it was Patrick or not. Finally there was a light knocking and Patrick confirmed it was him before she opened the door.

"Patrick, what the hell is going on?"

He looked around. "Is Maggie asleep?"

"Yes…why?"

He made a motion towards the den with his head, this would take them to the complete opposite side of the penthouse from where Maggie slept.

Bianca followed him anxiously, wanting to know what all the commotion was about. Once in the den, she again spoke. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or not? You call me at 2 AM and tell me you and a security team are en route, I'm going to tend to get a bit nervous!"

Patrick stood there looking at her, his right hand in his pants pocket, his left holding a manila envelope she had not noticed in all the excitement. He held it up in front of her face. "This…this is what all the commotion is about."

She looked at him, an obvious puzzled look crossing her face. She reached for the manila envelope and took it from him. She undid the string closure, opened the flap, and her look got even more puzzled. She looked up at Patrick for an answer, but he had already turned and was looking at the book shelves.

Not knowing what else to do, she tipped the envelope, emptying it of its contents. Recognition passed over her face, and then dismay. "I…I think I had better sit down."

July 5th – 6:50 AM

Maggie was awoken by tense, high-strung voices coming from the kitchen. She kept trying to go back to sleep, but the voices just wouldn't stop! She got out of bed and shuffled off to her bathroom, grabbed a robe, and headed to the kitchen to see what the commotion was.

As she started to open the door, she could identify Bianca and Patrick's voices, and neither sounded pleased.

"Never again Bianca! If I hadn't let you go without security yesterday, this wouldn't have happened!"

"And it was my choice Patrick! I can't live my entire life with security guards tagging along everywhere I go!"

"If I hadn't let myself get so close to you three, I would have never let this happen yesterday! I would have stood my ground against you."

"And if you hadn't gotten so close, you wouldn't be so bothered by this!"

Maggie paused, not opening the door more than a crack. She hated eavesdropping, but right now didn't seem like the best of times to come barreling in to the room.

Patrick sighed. "You're right…but I would still be bothered, just not as much." There was a long pause before he continued and then the rustling of what sounded to be newspaper. "What's she going to say?"

"I don't have the first clue how she's going to react to this." Bianca sighed deeply. "Thank god I already decided to stay home today."

Maggie took that as cue enough she could enter the room. "Hey kids, can you keep it down in here?" she asked in a mock-parental tone. "Some of us had a busy day yesterday and are trying to get some sleep."

Patrick flipped the newspaper open as it lay on the butcher block in front of him. "Good morning, Maggie," he said in an obvious display of forced enthusiasm.

Bianca was facing the sink, her left arm crossed at her waist, a cup of coffee being held in front of her lips with the right. "Morning," she said.

"Well…this is a chipper crew this morning." Maggie said, her eyes growing wide for emphasis. When no one replied, she decided to continue anyway. "What are you doing here Patrick? I thought Bianca was taking the day off? And why so blasted early anyway?"

"I…thought you might need errands run…and…um…"

"Uh-huh," she said, suspicion dripping from both syllables. She crossed her arms, set her jaw, and squinted her eyes. "Fess up. I heard you two arguing, what's going on?"

Bianca lowered her head and sighed. "No time like the present I suppose." She turned around and walked over to the butcher block. She placed her hand on the newspaper to slide it over to herself, but couldn't as Patrick was leaning on it. He looked up at her and they exchanged meaningful glances. He finally conceded and lifted his elbow, allowing her to slide the paper and spin it her direction in one fluid motion.

"Maggie….you may want to sit down first," Bianca said, her hand resting on the paper.

Unsure of what else to do, Maggie sat down and braced herself for the worst.

"There's…there's no real easy way to prepare you for this and…"

"Just give me the paper Bianca before you have a hemorrhage trying to explain what I can just as easily read." She grabbed the paper, slid it over to herself, and flipped to the front page. It took her a moment to absorb what was displayed before her. The front page of the local Paris tabloid featured a giant, zoomed picture of her and Bianca kissing the day before on the It's A Small World Ride. Above that was a bolded headline in French. "Well…any one want to clue me in as to what the headline says?"

Patrick cleared his throat. "It's A Gold Digging Nanny After All."

Maggie nodded her head as if she appreciated it. "Nice segue into the picture. Quite classy," she said with a bemused tone. "Should I even bother reading the article, or did they not see a point to going any further?"

"Oh, they went further alright," replied Bianca. "And the picture that really angers me is on the inside with it."

"Goody…more pictures. Hope they got my good side this…." Maggie flipped the paper open, and along with the article was a picture of the two of them kissing again, but this time it was on the second floor landing mere hours ago. "How….how did they get that one?" came Maggie's shaken voice.

"Once they were on to you two after Disneyland, they probably paid off one of your neighbors across the street. We have a security team investigating that now." Patrick replied softly.

"How did this come out so quickly though? That was only…what Bianca?" she asked, looking up at her friend. "Eight or nine hours ago?" She blushed a bit realizing Patrick was now privy to details similar to ones she had given him grief about only weeks before.

"That's more than enough time with digital cameras for this to have gone to press," said Patrick.

"Great. Well, glad to know sleaze can be spread so quickly nowadays." Maggie replied, scanning the article for the few words she could read for herself. She saw lots of names she knew…Erica Kane…Bianca Montgomery…Miranda Montgomery…Michael Cambias…her own. "How dare they call me Mary Margaret! Can I sue them for that?" she asked half-heartedly trying to lighten her own mood. Then she paused, and pointed to a sentence. "Someone read me this part please."

Bianca walked over and looked over her shoulder. "Oh…I was hoping you wouldn't spot that."

"Well I did, now just read it to me!" she said, her tone snippy, but her eyes pleading as she looked at Bianca over her shoulder.

The taller girl took no offense, and placed her hands on Maggie's shoulders to comfort her as she read. She cleared her throat. "It says 'Ms. Mary Margaret isn't the first member of the Stone family to try to sink her poor background claws in to Ms. Montgomery. She was proceeded by her, now dead, identical twin, Mary Francis Stone. And as if this family wasn't messed up enough, she was killed by the same dear ole Auntie who later kidnapped Mary Margaret!'."

Maggie was silent, but her anger was obvious on her face. She finally spoke with a tremble in her voice. "They….they can say what ever they want about me, I don't care, but they can not say that about Frankie." Maggie turned around on the bar stool, causing Bianca to lower her hands. Maggie immediately snapped them up and held them. "You know she wasn't in to you like that, right? You know that she actually had feelings for you don't you?"

Bianca's eyes started to glisten. She freed her right hand and lifted it to cup Maggie's left cheek. "Yes…I know. I don't question her motives for a second, and neither should you. These people didn't know her Maggie, they find a puzzle and make up pieces to connect them that will help sell papers. Reality doesn't matter to them."

Just then they could hear Miranda stirring on the baby monitor in Bianca's pocket. She reached up to wipe away the gathering tears. "I better go get her, she still needs her bath and…"

As she had started to walk away, Patrick had stood up and blocked her path. "I'll go and get her Bianca."

Bianca looked up with a puzzled look, and then recognition. "Oh…you're right. Could you change her and bring her down? Then I'll send you up for her bath stuff and we'll use Maggie's bathroom…if that's ok with you," she said, looking over at Maggie.

"Um…sure, but why?"

"Until the windows get tinted later today, neither of you are to venture past the dining room and library doorways. I've set up a folding screen in the hallway so they can't see you pass through the hall, but if you go past the screen, we run the risk of more photos being shot."

"You mean…this isn't over?"

Patrick and Bianca exchanged glances and uneasy looks. Bianca crossed her arms and looked down at the floor, kicking it with her foot. "Patrick, go get Miranda please, I'll give Maggie a crash course in what's going on." Patrick nodded to both of them and disappeared in to the dining room.

"Maggie…this won't be over for a while, and probably not until some other celebrity story breaks. Until then we need to watch everything we say and do in public, and that ."

"Ok, my head's hurting from all this." She shifted on her stool, and leaned in a bit closer, now talking with her hands. "I know the tabloids have gone after you before, but why now? We're just leading a quiet life, you're running a company, I'm going to medical school, we're not that exciting!"

Bianca sat down on the stool Patrick had previously occupied and turned to face Maggie, Her left arm on the butcher block, she stared down towards the floor, uneasy with the whole subject matter. "Well, the problem is this, and I should have seen it coming…" she finally looked in to Maggie's eyes. "No matter how boring we might think our lives are, I'm still first, Erica Kane's daughter, secondly, a lesbian and thirdly, I appear to have taken up with the hired help." She looked down again, the unease still apparent on her face. "You know the old saying 'sex sells'?"

"Of course."

"Well…there's sex and then….then there's lesbian sex." She looked up again, her eyes sad. "And where sex sells, lesbian sex sells tenfold."

"But, Bianca, and no offense, we aren't having sex, who knows if we ever will! This is all still new to me! I mean, my god, we only had our first true kiss yesterday!"

"And that's all it takes in the eyes of those people," she said, pointing angrily with her index finger at the newspaper.

Maggie just lowered her head to the butcher block and shook it back and forth. "My head hurts. I just don't get this...wait a minute," she lifted her head again. "how did they even know we were at Disneyland?"

"Either someone in Guest Relations alerted them or it could have even been someone in the park recognized me."

"So…basically you're saying, no matter where we go now, this could happen again."

"Not 'could', but 'will'. Now that they think we're a couple, they'll be more inclined to be on the look out for us, and even follow us."

Maggie thunked her head on the butcher block again just as Patrick walked back in the room with Miranda, a blanket covering her from head-to-toe that she was none too happy about. "I see educating her in the ways of the paparazzi is going well."

"Shut it frenchie!" came the somewhat muffled reply. She then looked up to see Patrick handing Miranda to Bianca. "Um…Patrick…it's July, why is Miranda wrapped in a blanket like it's the dead of winter in Siberia?" Patrick and Bianca exchanged looks yet again, but this time Maggie caught on. "Oh…let me guess…because you had to pass through the living room in front of the windows?"

"I always knew she was a quicker learner than she lets on." Patrick said with a smirk.

"It's too early in the morning for me to punch you…come see me around noon."

Patrick chuckled. "Yes, it's because we passed by the windows." He turned to address Bianca directly. "I'll go retrieve what you need to give her a bath. I'll also get you and the little miss some spare clothes for the day." He turned and headed off to his task.

Maggie folded her arms on the butcher block and leaned forward to rest her head on them. She faced Bianca and watched her talking to Miranda. It was nice to watch something so pure when you've just discovered you've been dragged through the mud.

Miranda giggled and laughed, Bianca putting her face directly in front of hers with that enormous smile she reserved only for those she loved. She asked her if she had slept well…who's girl she was…was she ready for the day…and all the while Miranda's arms were a swirl, and the room filled with giggles.

Bianca looked at Maggie now and smiled softly. "You ok?"

"Yeah…just a lot to soak in you know? Yesterday I was Maggie Stone, medical student, nanny, on a date with my best friend. Now I'm apparently a gold digging hussy out to woo you out of your fortune….man I get a lot done in one day." Bianca chuckled and Maggie turned her head so she was facing down, looking in to the grain of the wood.

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much Maggie, this will all eventually blow over and in a week, no one will even remember this story…hopefully." The last word having a wistful tone to it.

Maggie just sat there again, listening to the sounds of happiness and contentment coming from Miranda, and trying not to let this get her down, but it was difficult. They had had such a lovely day together, everything had gone wonderfully and now…now it almost felt tainted and dirty. What were supposed to have been such intimate moments, personal and only for them, were now on display for the world to see.

She heard footsteps entering the kitchen and a soft chuckle. "I already told you once…come see me around noon for the punching."

"Yes, yes, I'll make sure to take my lunch then…Bianca, I'll just go put these items in Maggie's room. Would you like me to start the bath?"

"Patrick you don't have to do all…"

"Yes…I do."

There was a pause, Maggie could almost hear the smile.

"Thank you Patrick. Yes, please start the bath."

And with that, she heard more footsteps, the door to her room open…and shut.

"Maggie?"

She finally looked up, squinted a bit to let her eyes adjust to light again. "Yeah?"

Bianca leaned forward and reached out with her right hand to squeeze Maggie's left forearm. "Don't let this get to you ok? This doesn't change anything between us."

"I know, I think I'm more angry than anything."

"Good!" she patted Maggie's arm now and grinned. "That's how I know you're going to be normal," she said with a mischievous wink. She stood up and supported Miranda with both arms now. The little girl appeared to be quite content, her head resting on her mother's shoulder, her left hand twisting the top of Bianca's shirt. "Could I ask you a favor?"

Maggie lifted her head and supported it with her right hand. "Of course."

"Could you possibly give Miranda her bath? I need to start making some phone calls."

"I think giving Miranda a bath is just what I could use right now!" Maggie stood up with an enormous grin on her face. She reached out to take the little girl in to her arms and as Bianca passed her, the small girl didn't let go of her death grip on whatever it was she was holding on to. Bianca tried to place her hand over it, but it was too late, Maggie had seen it was her silver rose necklace she wore when it was their date time.

Bianca saw Maggie recognize it and look up at her, a lopsided grin passing over the shorter woman's face. Bianca could feel her cheeks getting hotter with embarrassment as she placed her palm against it to make a vain attempt at concealing it.

"So….are we still on our date?" Maggie asked in her most self-satisfied tone.

"Maggie…I…I guess I just forgot to take it off and in all the excitement…" Bianca's speech was hurried, almost panicked.

Maggie just chuckled softly and with her left hand, she hooked her index and middle finger in to her shirt collar, and pulled out her own copy of the same necklace. She placed the chain in to Miranda's hand. Bianca's jaw dropped, and then Maggie could see the first signs of tears welling up in her eyes as her slack-jawed look turned into one of warmth and pride.

Maggie looked away and grinned while shaking her head "Don't go reading too much in to that…I must have just forgotten to take mine off also."

Bianca stepped closer, Maggie looked up at her, Miranda propped on her right hip. As Bianca looked down in to Maggie's eyes, she felt like even though it had been a rough morning, if it led to her being able to look at Maggie like this, it was all worth it. Before she realized it, she was leaning down and giving Maggie the most tentative of kisses…and it was being returned.

Patrick cleared his throat.

Both girls turned to look at him, scowling.

He merely smiled back. "The bath is ready when you are," he turned and walked away.

"Oh he is SO dead come lunch time," Maggie said storming after him. She got to the doorway of her room and started bellowing "Patrick! I hope Guilia doesn't mind you coming home bruised!"

Bianca was left alone in her kitchen. She smiled softly to herself, placed her right hand on her necklace, and hummed softly to herself as she stared off into nothingness with a dreamy look on her face, and she rotated slightly at the hips.

Finally she let out a contented sigh, and pulled her mobile phone from her pocket. She hit the speed dial button for her personal assistant. "Aurélia? It's Bianca, I'm sorry to call you so early, but this is important…I need you to look up a land assessment for me…"


	6. Chapter 6

July 5th - 7:30 AM

Maggie spit out water while kneeling next to the tub. "How is it she always knows to splash around when I have my mouth open?"

"Maybe because you never shut it?"

Maggie blinked. "Do you like pain? Is there something about you that you haven't shared yet?"

Patrick was leaning against the door jam leading in to Maggie's bathroom, watching her bathe Miranda. He looked deep in thought. "Well…I do have my secrets, but no, I am not in to pain, why do you ask?"

"Because, from the number of punches I owe you already this morning, your arm is going to be one giant bruise."

He laughed. "I think I'll survive." He leaned his head against the door jam and closed his eyes, fatigue obvious across his face.

Maggie looked up at him when he hadn't spoken for a moment. "You ok?"

He kept his eyes closed as he responded. "Yes, just tired. I've been here since a little after 2 AM, and I didn't get but about an hour of sleep last night."

Maggie leaned back and sat on her heels, Miranda splashing in the water to entertain herself. "2 AM? Why then? Why didn't anyone wake me up?" she asked, an exasperated tone to her voice.

Patrick opened his eyes, lifting his head as he did. "I had gotten a phone call from my old contact at the tabloid, alerting me to the pictures. I called the security team to get them over here to start investigating. As for not waking you, Bianca and I thought it best you get what sleep you could before we brought you up to speed on this. We knew it was going to be a long day today."

"So, you learned about the pictures at 2?"

"I got the call about 1:30 and swung by the newspaper office on my way here to pick up prints of the pictures."

Maggie hung her head, studying the bath mat. "Are there more than the two they ran?"

"Yes….many more. Mostly from Disneyland, and a few more of you two talking on the landing…and enough shots of you two kissing to make a flip book I'm afraid."

Maggie wasn't sure if what she felt was embarrassment, or a deep seething anger like she had never felt before. "Great…well…" she leaned back to the tub to resume washing the little girl "will they end up running those at some point?"

"That's our concern right now. If they don't get something else of interest soon, they'll run either more pictures of the kissing, or maybe the ones of you two holding hands with Miranda squarely in the center of the picture, behind your hands."

Maggie stopped moving her hands and lifted her head to stare directly ahead. She was no longer uncertain of what she was feeling…it was anger. "They…they took pictures with Miranda in them?"

"These people know no shame Maggie. Pictures with children usually sell more papers than those without."

"Great…well…the windows are getting tinted later you said, so we should be fine here."

"Unless you try to leave the building."

Now Maggie just hung her head in defeat. "Don't tell me…they're camped outside the entrances?"

"Yes, but we do have guards at both entrances, and at the elevator. They won't get in, but if you go to leave, you'll be hounded."

"Great…just great. I needed to run some errands today."

"We can take care of that for you."

Maggie finally went back to washing Miranda, her anger turning to acceptance. "That's not the point Patrick. I want to be able to leave my own building, you know? Now I just feel like I'm a prisoner."

"Well, sadly, in a way you are….at least for a little while."

"Oh that makes it so much better," she said while rolling her eyes. "So tell me something, who in the world wakes up one morning and decides they want to be a slimy photographer invading other people lives anyway?"

"Oh they all have different reasons. Almost all of them do it for money, but there are one or two who do it for personal reasons."

Maggie looked Miranda over, making sure she hadn't missed any spots. Satisfied the little girl was clean, she grabbed a towel and lifted her out of the tub. "Personal reasons? What sort of personal reasons?"

Patrick folded his arms and looked down at the floor, continuing to lean against the door jam. "As you know, I have been a Cambias driver for many years now, and I actually was Alexander Cambias' personal driver for the last few years of his life."

Maggie was smiling and cooing at Miranda as she dried her off. "Yeah, Bianca mentioned it, I also know what a bastard he was."

"That's putting it mildly." Patrick said under his breath. "Well, while I was his driver, there was one paparazzi in particular, named Guy Kachel, that I was constantly having to keep away from Mr. Cambias. The first couple of times we encountered him it just seemed he was more determined than most. Then I started to realize it was something more than just the usual desire to sell a picture."

Maggie was drying Miranda's hair with a towel, which she seemed to find immensely amusing from the number of giggles coming out of her. "Like what?"

"Well, we simply couldn't go anywhere without him showing up. No matter if it was a meeting, a club, a woman's house, when Mr. Cambias came out, Guy was there waiting. So I finally did a background check on him and discovered that one of Mr. Cambias' earliest land deals was for a piece of land owned by Guy's parents."

Wrapping Miranda in a dry towel so she didn't get a chill, Maggie walked towards the door. "Pardon me kind sir, but I must dress this young lady." Maggie said with a huge grin, and a flip of the hair like it was a royal decree.

Patrick smiled at them both. "But of course." He stepped backwards allowing them exit in to the bedroom, bowing at the waist as he did.

"So…land deal, Guy's parents…what happened?" Maggie asked as she walked over and set Miranda down on the bed.

"Alexander had gotten some advance information of a luxury hotel looking to buy all the land in that area. He bought all the properties up under dummy corporations, so that when the hotel was ready, he could sell them the real estate in a massive block. He then found a way to default on the payments to the land owners due to a hidden clause that they didn't vacate the land quickly enough."

"So he never paid the land owners, but he got all the money from the hotel…nice guy!" Maggie said as she was pulling a shirt on to Miranda.

"When Guy grew up, he made it his job in life to harm Alexander in any way he could. He figured out that becoming a paparazzi allowed him to kill two birds with one stone; it allowed him to hurt the Cambias reputation, and earn enough money to take care of his now ailing parents, who were now penniless due to the land deal."

"Well, in his case it almost sounds noble."

"It might have been, but he got so blinded by his vengeance that he didn't care who else got hurt. People lost jobs for being pictured having sex with Alexander, couples broke up, politicians were disgraced, it was a mess. But in Guy's mind, if you dealt with Alexander, you were no better than he was. The sad thing was, he thought all the while he was hurting the man he felt was responsible for his parent's situation, but he wasn't. Alexander loved the attention, he made a game out of it."

"So they got to where they fed off of each other. What a sick little pair they made." Miranda was all dressed now. Maggie picked her up and headed towards the kitchen. "Come on, I need coffee and she needs her breakfast."

They entered the kitchen and found Bianca sitting at the butcher block, nervously tapping a pen with her right hand, holding her mobile to her ear with her left. She looked over and smiled as the trio walked in. "I'm on hold…again. She all clean?"

"Yep! Just going to feed her now and make some coffee…you want some?"

"Oh god yes, I'm going to…." Her attention was pulled away "Yes…I'm still here." She stood up and walked towards the dining room for some quiet.

"I'll make the coffee, you sit down."

"Thanks Patrick." Maggie walked over and sat down at the butcher block. "So, Alexander made a game out of it, Guy followed you guys around everywhere, what happened after Alexander died?"

Patrick started filling the coffee pot with water, his back to Maggie. "I saw him one more time at the funeral and then nothing. I contacted my informant at the tabloid he sold most of his pictures to and asked where he was, only because I liked to keep my guard up. He told me Guy had left the country and that with Alexander gone, he didn't really see any need to stay."

"Wow…sounds like you knew him almost."

"Oh we talked a few times…well, more shouted at each other. I always wanted to punch him actually," Patrick poured the water into the coffee maker "but Alexander wouldn't allow me to. 'No no Patrick, you'll ruin my fun! Let him hold onto his miserable little dream he's hurting me.'"

"Wow…bit different working for Bianca I take it?"

Patrick chuckled as he ground the beans for the coffee. "Just slightly. But, since Guy left, things have been quieter, and up until these events…"

Maggie's cheeks started to turn red and she shifted uncomfortably on her stool.

"…I haven't had any problems to deal with." He poured the grounds in to a filter, put it in the pot and started it brewing. He turned around, leaned against the counter, and smiled a tiny bit. "I haven't thought of Guy in ages. If he was still in the country, I would have suspected him of all this, but my contact at the paper didn't know who had sold them the pictures." Patrick chuckled to himself. "Funny how I can laugh about him now."

"Maybe you got a rush from it too?" Maggie asked, her head bent down, resting on top of Miranda's who was sitting on her lap.

"Maybe…although it wasn't much sport, you always knew he was coming. Either you smelled those god awful Gauloises cigarettes he was always smoking, or you spotted that ratty leather coat of his in the crowd, he could never sneak up on you."

"Hey you can't say much Mr. Smoker Man!"

"I'm still only at one a day thank you…"

Maggie's eyes grew wide, and she sat upright. "Wait a minute…did you just say 'leather coat'?"

"Huh? Oh! On Guy? Yes, he wore a brown leather coat all the time, didn't matter what the temperature was. I remember one time…"

Maggie was up and off her stool, moving towards Patrick. "Hold her, I'll be right back." Maggie shoved Miranda in to a shocked Patrick's arms and bolted for her room, leaving the door open after her.

Patrick stood there, not sure what to think, but waited for her to come back. She returned a moment later with a piece of paper.

"Is this him?" Maggie asked, holding a piece of paper towards Patrick.

Patrick handed Miranda back to Maggie and took the paper, a puzzled look on his face. It was a picture of a disgruntled Bianca in front of It's A Small World with Miranda, and off to the side, a man in a leather coat. "Sacre Bleu! It's him!" Patrick reached under the back of his suit coat and pulled out a walkie talkie. "Christoph! It's Patrick, get up to the penthouse immediately, I know who we need to be on the lookout for now, I'll meet you by the elevator."

Patrick started to head for the dining room, but quickly turned to Maggie before leaving. "Thank you Maggie, this helps more than you could guess." With that, he turned and headed for the entrance hallway, leaving Maggie and Miranda alone in the kitchen.

Maggie lifted Miranda and turned her around to face her. "Did you hear that Munchkin? For once I was observant!" She pulled Miranda tight to her chest and held Miranda's left hand in her right and spun her around like they were dancing, all the while singing "Go me! Go me! Maggie was observant! Go me! Go me!"

In the dining room, Bianca rolled her eyes at yet another Maggie created song.

July 5th – 9:33 AM

"Thank you Aurélia. Yes, please bring the papers over later this afternoon when they're ready. And Aurélia? Thank you for your help this morning, you've gone above and beyond and I won't forget it." Bianca hit the end button on her mobile, closed her eyes and bowed her head. Things were falling in to place. They were costing her, or more appropriately Cambias Industries, a lot of money, but if it meant safety and privacy for her family, it was worth every cent.

She could feel the knots in her shoulders, she always got them when she was tired. And sitting in the dining room for some quiet wasn't the best on her back. She raised her right hand to her left shoulder and started squeezing and rubbing it, but it wasn't doing her much good, no matter how much she screwed up her face in effort.

Bianca felt fingers slide under her own, and another set come to rest on her other shoulder and they started rubbing and squeezing the knots out. She let her hand drop to the table and she ate up every second of time the phantom massager would give her.

"All done?" Maggie asked, her fingers working the deepest muscle tissues she could.

"For now…oh yeah, right there…there'll be some papers for me to sign later, but Aurélia will bring those by." Bianca hung her head loosely, letting it loll lazily back and forth. "Oh man, I want to ask what I did to deserve this, but I'm afraid you'd stop."

Maggie smiled. "You looked like you could use it. You've had that phone pinched to your ear for nearly two and a half hours! What have you been working on any way?"

"Something…I don't want to say anything until it's a done deal, but it should help matters in the future." She went silent, enjoying getting these knots worked out of her shoulders, it just felt so good, she never wanted it to stop, and …

There was a polite cough from the doorway that led to the entrance hallway.

Both women shot Patrick a dirty look, he just grinned back at them. "Sorry to interrupt, but Bianca, I need to brief you on the information Maggie provided me with while you were otherwise engaged. It led to some interesting results."

Bianca turned in her chair and looked up at Maggie with a perplexed look. "What in the world did you know about all this?"

Maggie shrugged her shoulders and smirked. "What can I say, I really am a know it all!"

Bianca couldn't help but laugh. She turned her attention back to Patrick. "Well, come in and have a seat. You can bring me up to speed before I pass out."

"I think I'll take Miranda back in to my room for some play time. I've already heard the story once this morning." Maggie leaned over closer to Bianca's left ear. "Can I get you anything before I go?"

Bianca turned her head to look up at her with a huge, toothy grin. "No, I'm fine, thank you though. I'll come see you two when I'm done here."

Maggie stared at her friend for a beat longer than she probably should have, but it was hard sometimes to look away from that smile. Her own smile always felt a bit feeble in comparison, but she did so anyway. "Ok…I am sure we'll be working on something ultra-important…" Maggie said over her shoulder as she walked away, "like rescuing a princess or building a skyscraper!"

Bianca watched Maggie walk away and gave a contented little sigh as she turned back towards Patrick…who was grinning from ear-to-ear. "What?" Bianca asked as she looked down with her head and tucked wisps of hair behind her ears.

Patrick shrugged and continued to smile in a 'I'm-not-blind-you-know', kind of way. "I didn't say anything."

Her cheeks turning bright crimson , Bianca shifted in her chair and pulled it closer to the table. "Oh shush you. Now…what is it you need to bring me up to speed on?" her business demeanor returning.

July 5th – 9:57 AM

"No! You can't take my child! She is all I have! No!" said a woman's voice.

"Oh but I can and I shall!" was said by a gruffer, but still oddly feminine speaker.

"But I gave you our only cow! Please leave my precious little girl!"

"No! She shall come with me and be raised as my own!"

Miranda sat on the floor, her legs spread in a v-shape, her eyes wide, and her jaw slack, as she watched an invisible person on the far side of the bed act out this scene with two dolls. To someone of her age, this was better than the most sophisticated special effects of a blockbuster summer movie!

Maggie had to admit, she was kind of enjoying it herself. Her impromptu play at an end, she lifted her torso up to look over the bed and see if her audience had enjoyed it. They most certainly had, as she awkwardly clapped her hands and laughed…and the little girls mother joined in.

"Oh bravo! Author! Author!"

Maggie slammed her head in to the bed, a doll still clenched in each fist, resting on the bed. "When did you walk in?" came the muffled question from the bed sheets.

"I believe…" Bianca said, leaning down to pick up her daughter and moving to sit down on the bed, "it was just about the time the mother had sacrificed her pigs as well as the cow to save her daughter."

"Wonderful!" Maggie threw the dolls over her shoulders so they thudded to the floor. "I shall now just crawl under my bed and die of embarrassment!"

"Why? For keeping my daughter entertained while I took care of our little problem?" She went to lay down on her side, then paused. "Do you mind?"

Maggie stole a glance from her face-down pose and saw a window of opportunity to change the subject. She made a dismissive sound. "Of course not."

"Thanks. I can't believe how exhausted I am and it's not even 10 AM yet."

Maggie lifted her head, brought her hands together, and lowered her chin on to them to support her head while she talked to her friend. "How did your conversation with Patrick go."

"Well…" Bianca started playing with Miranda's hair as she talked, "the security team has confirmed it was this Guy Kachel character. The owner of the building across the street said he had shown Guy the apartment a few days ago, but under another name. He did rent the apartment to him, but didn't think Guy had moved in yet. When the security team checked it out, all they found in the apartment was cigarette butts everywhere and a folding chair by the window he would have had to take the shots from."

"Oh that's just wonderful. So he's been watching us for awhile, just waiting for….something…to happen?"

"It appears that way," she said with a yawn.

"Well that's just flat out creepy. At least he must have been bored. Up until yesterday we had barely even seen each other for two weeks."

"Yeah…" Bianca's eyes started to close and she shook herself awake. "Sorry about that, maybe I should go catch a nap on the couch in the den…"

"Don't be silly." Maggie said, interrupting her. "Sleep here, I don't mind. I'll just take Miranda…well…I was going to say to the park, but I guess we'll just go watch TV in the den instead."

Bianca's voice was even drowsier now. "There should be a play house delivered for her in just a little bit. I had Aurélia order it up from one of the Cambias subsidiaries, Wonky Wiblets. we can set it up in the library."

While Maggie tried to stifle a laugh over the company name, in the kitchen, a mobile phone rang. They both looked over at the door to the kitchen, but Patrick didn't come walking through and they heard his voice.

"Well, ok. I'll take her for now, we'll wait for the playhouse, and you can get some sleep right here." Maggie made to stand up, and as she did, she could see Bianca was already asleep.

Around the taller girl's neck, Maggie could see she still had the rose necklace on. She smiled, feeling the weight of her own around her neck. As she finished standing up, she leaned over and placed a very light kiss on Bianca's forehead. In her sleep, she smiled and rolled over.

Maggie placed a cover over her, picked up Miranda, propped her on her right hip and walked towards the kitchen door. As she got closer, she could hear Patrick arguing in French. She opened the door to the kitchen, looked back at the resting Bianca and smiled. She flipped off the lights, walked in the kitchen, and closed the door behind her.

Patrick was still going at it on the phone. Maggie pressed a finger to her lips and made a "shh" sound at him and nodded her head towards her room.

He nodded and walked off towards the dining room, still jabbering away in to his phone. Maggie stopped, put Miranda down and retrieved some juice from the refrigerator to put in a sippy cup for her. She did a quick mental inventory of the contents. "Man…" she muttered "I really need to get out to the grocery store if we're going to be…oh wait…that doesn't work."

She closed the door and sighed. "I reckon I'll have to make a grocery list and give it to Patrick Munchie since we can't leave yet." She set the juice down and got a cup down from the cabinet. "I don't care what Alexander had done to Guy's family, this isn't fair to my family…"

'Her family…' That gave her pause for a moment. True, it may not be a family in the traditional sense, but it was a family none-the-less. They had their father figure, a baby and her…. "Oh god, ok, none of the introspective mumbo-jumbo today! I got enough going on!" She poured the juice in to the cup, threw the bottle out, picked up Miranda and marched off towards the den.

As she passed through the dining room, she noticed Patrick was off his phone, but looked shell shocked. She stopped in front of him. "Patrick, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Things are about to get a lot worse for me." He said.

"For you? What's going on." Maggie's voice was sounding more and more concerned. She pulled out one of the dining room chairs and sat down across from him.

"I didn't have time to tell Guilia I was leaving last night, and she just woke up to find me gone."

Maggie snorted out a laugh. "Oh smooth move there Frenchie...smoooooth."

"It gets better, she just saw the paper."

"Oh."

"Yes…she's calling her mother…she knows the old ways you see, she said something about putting a curse on Guy."

"Well I'm all for that!"

"And she's coming over here."

"Ok…I'm still not seeing the problem here."

"She wants to cook for the both of you, to cheer you up."

"Again…still not seeing the problem here Patrick, help me out a little."

"Do you know…how long it has been since I spent a whole day with my wife?"

"Oh…well…I don't know. How long has it been?"

"Ten years."

Maggie's brows knitted together. "Really? You two always seem to get along so well when I see you."

"We do…specifically because we don't spend the entire day together!"

Maggie had to laugh. "So, what you're trying to say is, the success to your together time is your away time," she asked as she stood up and pushed her chair back under the table.

"Exactly!"

"One day won't kill you Patrick!" Maggie said over her shoulder as she started towards the den again, chuckling to herself the entire way.

"Damn you Guy!" Patrick muttered under his breath. "Invading their privacy was bad enough, now you're making me spend an entire day with my wife!"


	7. Chapter 7

July 5th – 12:37 PM

Bianca's head felt like it was full of cotton. That 'I just woke up from a nap I didn't mean to take and it has screwed up my body instead of helped it' cotton….and it felt like maybe she'd drooled a bit.

She was laying on her side and propped herself up on one arm to look around the room, not 100 positive where she was. Once she spotted the lava lamp, it started to make sense. "Maggie's room?" she muttered. She looked down at herself, her clothes were still on…she sighed.

Sitting up, she swung her legs around so her feet were on the floor and she stretched her arms above her head. Just as she finished, she heard a commotion coming from the kitchen and what sounded like a woman yelling.

She raced over to the kitchen door, threw it open and spotted Maggie, standing in the corner, wide-eyed, watching the chaos, but she wasn't the source of the yelling. Two of the security team were walking in with grocery bags and pots. In the distance, just beginning to walk through the dining room, she could spot Guilia, followed closely by Patrick, both of them carrying even more groceries and pots. That was the source of yelling.

Bianca quickly, and quietly, walked over to where Maggie stood. The shorter girl's eyes were wide, her jaw slightly dropped causing her mouth to hang loose. Bianca leaned over to her. "Um…what's going on?"

Maggie jumped slightly and looked up at her friend. "Oh, hi there. Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah, until I woke up and heard yelling!"

"Well…Guilia called earlier and said she was coming over to cook for us to try to cheer us up."

"Awwww that's so nice of her." Bianca said with an enormous smile.

"Yeah….Patrick? Not so much with the 'awwww' more with the grumbly face."

"You mean the one where his eyebrows touch?" using her hands to illustrate on her own face.

Maggie pointed and laughed. "Yeah, that one! Seems he and Guilia haven't spent an entire day together in ten years and he considers that the secret to their successful marriage."

"Wow…well…how long has she been here for him to already be grumbling like this?"

"Oh…about five minutes."

The two security men had set down their cargo, and left the room as quietly, and unassumingly as possible. Now it was Patrick who was slamming what he had carried on to the cabinets as he and Guilia continued to yell at one another. Finally Guilia had spotted the ladies of the house and ran over to them, gave each the traditional la bise greeting, and immediately switched from the Italian she had been speaking in with Patrick, to French so she could converse with Bianca.

She went on and on about those horrible leeches in the press and how dare they do this to girls she thought of as daughters. She had indeed called her mother in Italy and immediately had a curse put on Guy's 'unmentionables'. Then she asked where Miranda was as she was dying to see her.

Bianca did a double take when she realized even she didn't know where Miranda was. Maintaining a grin, so as not to convey her concern to Guilia, she turned to Maggie. "Maggie..Guilia would like to see Miranda…where is she?"

"Oh, that's right, you were asleep. She's in the library in her new playhouse, she fell asleep in it. I'll take Guilia in to show her."

Bianca explained to Guilia she should follow Maggie and the ladies left, but Maggie quickly turned to say one last thing. "By the way, before I forget, the employee from Wonky Wiblets that brought over the playhouse said he would be drafting you a memo about budgeting in a re-write of the instructions because even he couldn't understand them." Maggie paused. "He taught me a lot of words in French I'm not sure I should use in public," she shrugged and returned to escorting Guilia to the library.

Bianca turned around, chuckling to herself to find Patrick unloading groceries and mumbling to himself. "What's wrong Patrick?"

"She pulled two of the guards off duty to carry up groceries!"

"Did you tell her not to?"

"Have you ever tried dealing with someone as stubborn as her?"

"You've obviously never met my mother," Bianca mumbled under her breath. She walked over and patted Patrick on the back. "It's ok Patrick, she's here to cheer us up and help us, so I am sure it won't be that bad."

Patrick continued to grumble as he put more groceries away.

July 5th - 4:00 PM

The household was working its way in to an odd rhythm considering how much space they were limited to. The tinters had arrived several hours ago, and were working on the windows in the living room. Guilia was in full cooking mode with all of the burners on the stove going at once. Patrick was spending more time downstairs with the security detail. Miranda was down for a nap in her playhouse, which she refused to leave. Maggie had snuck off for a nap and was now back up helping in the kitchen. Bianca was spending the time on the phone, finishing up whatever it was she was dealing with.

Patrick called up and let Bianca know that Aurélia was on her way up with the papers she had requested. Bianca excused herself from the kitchen and went to greet her. They returned to the dining room and Bianca took a seat at the head of the table while Aurélia spread out the papers she needed to sign.

Maggie grabbed a hand towel and dried off her hands so she could go say hello to Bianca's personal assistant. They had only met in passing a few times before, and she had always been behind a desk, but she still felt it was polite. As she walked in to the dining room and approached, she was unsettled by what she saw.

Aurélia was standing on Bianca's right, bending at the waist so their heads were close together. Her left hand on the back of Bianca's chair, her right hand propped on the table, discussing the papers with Bianca. Maggie noted her top had a fairly deep v at the bodice, and her skirt was above the knees, her muscular calves accentuated by 3" heels. Her hair was that shiny blonde you felt only existed in magazine ads and she was just stunningly beautiful.

In contrast, Maggie felt frumpy and all together homely. She had changed in to an old Foo Fighters concert shirt that had that bleached-black-gone-through-the-wash-too-many-times look, jeans with holes in them and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail while she had been cooking. It was the scowl she wore though that made Bianca notice her first.

"Maggie…did you need something?" she said, an uneasy tone to her voice.

"What? Oh…no, I just came in to say hello to Aurélia since I hadn't seen her in awhile." Maggie tried to force a smile and did an awkward little wave.

Aurélia stood up to her full height, which just made Maggie feel even smaller as this woman had to be close to 6', and 'statuesque' was a word that popped to mind immediately. "Maggie!" came the heavily French accented English. "It is so good to see you again! I am so sorry about this horrible business you have gone through today!" She quickly snapped Maggie up in to a hug that choked Maggie more than comforted her.

"Thanks," she said when she could finally breathe again. "I didn't mean to interrupt, I just didn't want to be rude and not say hello."

"Oh we are almost done," Aurélia said while turning back to Bianca and the papers. "Just a few more and the building will be yours!"

"Building? What building?" inquired Maggie.

Bianca didn't look up, but from the way the side of her face moved, it was obvious she was smiling. "I…here?...I am buying…and here?...the building across the street!" she finished as she crossed one final 't'.

"What? Why?"

"That way I can cancel out Guy's lease for using false records and I can make sure no one but people Cambias security checks out can live across from us." She sat back in the chair, her smile like that of a satisfied cat that had just finished dining on a canary.

"Wow…well…that's one way to protect us all I guess." Maggie folded her arms across her chest, dragging the collar down slightly. This exposed her rose necklace to the room.

"Maggie! Your necklace…it is beautiful." Aurélia commented. She walked over to look at it closer.

Maggie resisted the urge to make a snide comment about Aurélia being distracted by shiny objects…it almost seemed too easy. "Thank you…" she turned her head and smiled at Bianca, "I love it."

Bianca smiled back and lifted her right hand to pull the matching pendant from her blouse to show she still had hers on also.

As Aurélia finished looking at Maggie's necklace, she turned to pick up the papers, and spotted Bianca's necklace now. "Awwww you two are…oh, what is that word…um…adorable! That's it, you are both adorable! I wish my husband would be that romantic!"

Maggie's eyes grew wide as she finally spotted the very large wedding ring on the woman's left hand.

Bianca shifted in her chair and smiled up at her assistant. "But Aurélia, don't you think your husband might look a little silly wearing a rose necklace?"

All three women laughed. Bianca stood and thanked Aurélia for all of her help. The tall Amazonian woman congratulated Bianca on her purchase and reassured her that it was no problem to have done all this work. Bianca saw her out after all their good-bye's were said.

Maggie waited in the dining room for Bianca to return. She knew she was in for it the second she saw her. She had that 'I'm going to give you so much grief' smile of hers combined with her hands being clasped in front of her down by her waist. Maggie just simply hung her head, there was no defense when Bianca was like this.

The taller girl walked up to her and stood directly in front of her, but didn't speak at first, prolonging her pain. "You were jealous weren't you?" was what came out when she finally did.

Maggie looked up, but would not meet Bianca's eyes. "I don't know if I would say 'jealous'," she made air quotes "so much as 'curious'."

"You walked in here, saw her bending over like that and you thought something was going on between her and I didn't you?"

"I…well…I guess I had never realized just how gorgeous she is."

"She is gorgeous, but she is also very straight, and very married, and my employee. You just saw her in a new light because things have changed between you and me. Besides…I'm not looking right now."

Maggie finally did meet Bianca's gaze, but now their expressions were more serious. "Why not?"

"Why not what? Why aren't I looking?"

"Yeah."

"Because…I'm looking at what I want right now."

"Bianca….I still can't guarantee…"

"I know, but I have time, and I'm willing to wait, and for now, you have nothing to worry about."

Maggie smiled. "What did I ever do to deserve you as a friend?"

"You got a couple of hours? I have a list."

"Well, it must be a pretty long one…I mean, really, how many people can say 'Oh yeah, well, my friend bought an apartment building to keep people from taking pictures of me!'"

"Two."

"You know two people who can say that?

"No, I bought two buildings. The one directly across the street and the one next to it, it had good angles on us for photos also."

"Ok…um…first off…wow…secondly…I didn't get you anything, but I did however help make dinner!"

"Oh, well then, I think we're totally even!"

The girls started walking back towards the kitchen, giggling as they went. Just as they entered the kitchen archway, Maggie stopped Bianca by putting a hand on her arm. "Seriously Bianca…thank you."

Bianca smiled and nodded. "I had to Maggie, no one messes with my family…no one. Now…when's dinner, I'm starving!" Bianca walked in to the kitchen and directly to the stove to see what Guilia was preparing.

Maggie was content just to just stand there and watch her walk.

July 5th – 6:00 PM

"Guilia, honestly, just how much food do you think we can eat?" asked Maggie

Patrick translated, Guilia answered him. "She says you're eating until we get some hips on you. She doesn't care if you are dating Bianca, you may want children someday and you're in no shape for it."

Maggie scowled, Guilia smiled and chuckled.

The dining room table was covered from end to end in pots heaping with pasta, sauces, salad, and a wide assortment of meats. It was a veritable feast, and all for a Tuesday night as common as any other. Bianca sat at the head of the table closest to the entry hall, Maggie at the end by the kitchen. Patrick and Guilia on opposite sides in the middle, with Miranda directly next to Guilia as she had requested to feed her.

Patrick had avoided coming up from the ground floor as long as he could, but even he had to give in to his wife's cooking. It didn't matter that Guy had forced this situation any more, it was nice to sit around the table and dine as an extended family.

Just as every one was digging in, one of the glass tinters hesitantly stepped in to the doorway from the hall. He removed his painters cap and asked to see Patrick for a moment. Patrick excused himself while everyone else continued to eat.

After a few moments he returned, a concerned look on his face. Everyone at the table remained quiet until Bianca finally decided to ask what was obviously on everyone's mind. "Is there something you need to tell us Patrick?"

"Well, due to the size of the job, they only had enough materials to tint half of the windows, which means you are still exposed. They will be able to come back and finish tomorrow after they get more supplies."

"So, what does this mean?" Maggie inquired.

"It means that as the head of Bianca's security detail, I will have to request you two do not venture past the hallway until tomorrow, after they finish."

While Guilia asked Patrick to translate for her, Bianca and Maggie exchanged looks. "Well…I guess I can sleep on the couch in the den, you in your bed, and do you mind if Miranda sleeps in the crib in your room?" Bianca asked.

"Bianca…of course Miranda can sleep in my room, but you aren't sleeping on the couch!"

"Well, I don't want to impose on you."

Maggie sighed. "Let's just discuss this later, ok?"

Bianca knitted her eyebrows together, but responded with a simple "Alright."

It was then that voices started raising between Patrick and Guilia again. Bianca and Maggie turned their attention to their ever present protector to see what the matter was. He began grinding his teeth while staring at a grinning Guilia.

"Um…" interjected Bianca "is there a problem?"

"None," replied Patrick "so long as she realizes I'm right!" Guilia made a kissy face at Patrick and turned to feed Miranda a piece of pasta. "I" Patrick continued through gritted teeth, "told her I would now be spending the night here since the windows didn't get finished, I said she should go home, but she is insisting on staying."

Bianca smiled, winked at Maggie in a "follow-my-lead" sort of way and took on a serious face. "Well, Patrick, why is it you feel the need to stay here? Are we in physical danger?"

"Well, no…"

"And Bianca bought the buildings pictures can be shot from, so we're probably even safe from the paparazzi really," added Maggie.

"But you see, I…."

"And really Patrick, inviting yourself to stay in my home!" Bianca said, her face taking on a scolding look.

"Yes, but I…"

"Yeah, that was pretty forward of him I think!" chirped Maggie.

"I only wanted…"

"But if you really think you have to stay…" Bianca turned towards Guilia and asked her something in French. Maggie couldn't understand most of it, but she could decipher Patrick's cringing body language.

Guilia smiled and became very excited, repeatedly saying "Oui!", the French word for "yes", over and over again. Maggie needed no translation to know that Bianca had just asked Guilia to spend the night from the way Patrick groaned and closed his eyes.

July 5th – 7:30 PM

After they had finished dinner, which included a lot of Patrick mumbling to himself, everyone had joined in the washing of the dishes, and then retired to the den for some TV while Miranda played in her new house.

With nothing of interest on TV, Bianca and Maggie had raided their movie collection for something everyone could enjoy, which was difficult with Guilia's lack of English. After Maggie had been horror stricken by the idea Patrick and Guilia had never seen "It's A Wonderful Life", she insisted they watch.

"Maggie…that's a Christmas movie," Bianca chided.

"It's A Wonderful Life can be enjoyed year round! Besides, how can we let these two poor souls go on living another day without knowing about Zuzu's petals…really woman, where is your sense of common decency?"

Bianca rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. Maggie bit her lower lip and smiled, knowing she had won.

With the lack of seating that faced the TV, Patrick moved the coffee table and offered to sit on the floor, Maggie protested, and insisted the 'old people' sit on the couch, and they, with their younger, springier joints, would sit on the floor. Patrick glared at her, Maggie grinned.

When the movie began, the girls had sat close, but not so close as to touch. By the point in flashbacks where George Bailey had dropped the phone and told Mary he loved her, they were entwined. Maggie's head rested on Bianca's right shoulder and her left arm twisted inside of Bianca's right. Their hands met at the ends, fingers interlaced, thumbs running up and down each others thumb joints.

If someone like Norman Rockwell had come in to paint the scene, it would have been entitled something like '21st Century Family". The dating kids on the floor, in the obvious early stages of love, ignoring the parents on the couch, staring down at them approvingly, then smiling at each other. The only thing that was out of place was Portia, hanging above the couch. Hopefully Rockwell would have left that out.

July 5th – 10:00 PM

The movie over, which Patrick and Guilia thoroughly enjoyed, everyone was just about ready for sleep, a tremendously long day behind them. Patrick went downstairs again to check in with the security detail, while Guilia offered to go up and retrieve pajamas for Bianca from her room and the items she needed for a shower.

Maggie quickly took a shower, then Bianca. Both girls sat around the butcher block, now, hair up in towels, waiting for Patrick to come back up from downstairs. Patrick walked back in and laughed at the girls as he entered the kitchen. "How cute…are you going to do each other's hair next?" Maggie glared at him. Bianca just smiled.

"What's going on downstairs?" Bianca asked.

Patrick took on a more serious tone as he reported. "They're not as many as there were earlier, but there are cars with paparazzi outside both entrances still. I'm afraid you may both need to go out tomorrow though. If we stay holed up too long without any other stories breaking, they'll start running stories about how you're holed up in a "love nest".

Maggie coughed. "Or Pleasure Hut…because you know, I have the sign for that," she said, throwing a thumb over her shoulder towards her bedroom door.

Bianca rolled her eyes, and mumbled, "Thank god that's on the inside of the apartment." She slapped the palms of her hands against the butcher block. "Anyway, what's the plan? We'll deal with going out in the morning. I really think you and Guilia can go home Patrick. No one's going to get in here, they aren't even going to try."

"No…I left you both at Disneyland and we see where that got us, I'm staying. Guilia will take the spare bedroom, and I'll take a chair in the library so if I have to get up, I won't wake her."

"Ok, I'll take the couch in the den then…"

"You are not sleeping on the couch Bianca! Seriously, come in my room, it's fine, then Patrick can have the couch."

Bianca went to protest, but she could see from the pleading look in Maggie's eyes, it was a pointless fight. She sighed heavily and said "Fine, I'll sleep in your room, Patrick you take the couch."

Patrick tried to suppress his grin as he said "Very well…I'll see you both in the morning."

July 5th – 10:15 PM

Maggie dried and brushed her hair. It would still be a mess in the morning, but she hated going to bed with dirty or wet hair. She pulled her now dried hair back in a ponytail, took off her robe, put on a pair of boxer shorts and her Tigers jersey, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the bathroom.

"I'm all done if you want to go in and dry your hair. I…what are you doing?"

Bianca was sitting on the edge of the bed, drying her hair with her towel. "Um…drying my hair?"

"I can see that! I mean…this!" She pointed down at the sheets and pillow Bianca had spread on the floor and waggled her finger at what lay there.

"Oh…well…I just figured I was sleeping on the floor."

"Bianca, this is your apartment, if anyone sleeps on the floor it would be me, but I really hadn't planned on sleeping there, my bed is plenty big for the both of us." Miranda stirred in her crib, Maggie lowered her voice before continuing. "We are capable of sleeping in the same bed you know."

"I know, but…with the way things have changed between us, I…" Bianca dropped her hands to her lap and stared down at them. "I didn't want you to feel like I was pressuring you."

"Oh please, I invited you in here," Maggie leaned down, picked up the pillow, and dropped on to the bed next to Bianca, hugging the pillow to her chest. "If anything, I was afraid you thought I was trying to make a move." She butted her right shoulder against Bianca's left, which made the taller girl grin.

"No, I didn't figure you were going to." Bianca looked up and in to Maggie's eyes. There was an awkward silence for a moment as they both searched each other's eyes as if looking for something. "Are…are you still wearing your necklace?"

Maggie reached up and pulled it from under her jersey. "You?"

Bianca shoved the flap of her robe to the side so the necklace was visible. "These seemed like such a good idea at first, now…"

"They're comforting Bianca, nothing more. We don't need them to tell us we're on a date, we're adults, we can figure that out. Today sucked, we were forced in to a situation we hadn't planned for, and today they just made us feel good. That's all. If it makes you more comfortable though, let's agree to do away with them and just get some sleep ok? I promise not to jump you in bed…I don't think I would even have the energy to."

Both girls laughed. "Ok, ok, I just need to dry my hair first," Bianca stood up and started to walk away, but as she did, she felt Maggie grab her left hand and pull backwards lightly.

"Before we do take them off, there is something I do want to do." She stood up, setting the pillow down with her left hand as she did. Her right hand continued to hold on to Bianca's left, and they stared intently at each other. Both girls tilted their heads to the left and kissed. It was deep, but still soft, and filled with more desire than either had given in to in any of their previous kisses. It could almost be described as 'toe-curling'.

There was a knock at the door. "Bianca, are you awake, I forgot to tell you something about tomorrow," came Patrick's muffled voice.

The girls broke their kiss, Bianca laughed, Maggie stared straight ahead, her mouth disappearing in to a straight line. "That's it. He dies," Maggie grabbed the pillow she had set down, leaped on the bed, ran across it, jumped off and ran across the room. She threw open her door, and proceeded to pummel Patrick with a pillow while screaming in between hits "Why…do…you…always…show…up…at…the…wrong…times!"

Patrick protected himself by throwing up his right arm. "I take it this is a bad time?"

He received one more hit to the face.


	8. Chapter 8

July 6th – 6:30 AM

Maggie's eyes popped open. Something wasn't right. It felt like maybe she'd overslept, but a glance at the clock told her she still had about fifteen minutes before she had to get up.

With such a short time left, she figured she might as well get up and get an early start on the day. She reached down to throw her covers back, but instead of finding the edge of her covers, she found an arm draped over her waist.

It was then she realized she could feel body heat against her back…against her legs…hot breath on her neck. She turned her head slowly to look over her shoulder and found a sleeping Bianca spooning her.

She smiled and turned her head back to face away. "Well," she thought "I don't have to get up quite yet."

July 6th – 6:34 AM

Bianca's eyes blinked open.

She blinked again.

She couldn't understand why all she was seeing was blondish hair in a ponytail. It was then she realized her arm was draped over someone's waist and she was spooning them.

When she tried to slowly pull her arm away, Maggie turned her head and looked over her shoulder at her. Bianca gave her a weak smile, feeling a sense of awkwardness wash over her. "Hi," she rasped out of her dry morning throat.

Maggie just continued to stare at her, and then turned her head back to face the other way. "We…we've got 10 more minutes before we have to get up."

Bianca was hesitant at first, but then thought that maybe she'd been premature in pulling away. She slowly leaned her weight back towards Maggie, letting her arm wrap around her again. She didn't feel any flinching, any recoiling, and took that to mean that her friend was comfortable with this physical closeness.

She smiled broadly and enjoyed this intimate moment….at least for the upcoming ten minutes.

July 6th – 6:45 AM

bzzzt

bzzzt

bzzzt

Maggie just stared at the infernal alarm clock, not really wanting to acknowledge it. She tried to shut it off with her mind, but alas, it didn't seem to have any effect.

She finally rolled forward slightly, not wishing to feel Bianca's arm snake away, but it did. She pouted slightly as she hit the off button. She felt Bianca's body weight shift in the bed and could tell she had rolled out and gotten up.

Bianca quickly put on her robe, cinched up the sash, and walked over to Miranda's crib to check on her. Bianca put her left hand on her upper thigh, leaned over and tucked hair behind her ear with her right hand. Miranda was awake and staring up, smiling at the sight of her mother. "Oh Munchkin, you're getting so big!" Bianca said as she lifted her growing daughter. "I think we're going to have to switch her to beds soon."

"Yeah, I'd been meaning to bring that up with you." Maggie said as she sat up and turned to sit on the edge of her bed. She put her arms above her head and stretched, various vertebrae in her back popping. "Oh man that felt good."

"Didn't sleep well?" Bianca asked, standing in front of her friend, swaying back and forth with Miranda.

"I don't know, I feel like I didn't move for a couple of hours….," her voice trailed off, both girls getting embarrassed little grins on their faces. "And with that, I think I'll go wash up first if you don't mind." Maggie said chuckling and trying not to meet Bianca's eyes.

"No problem, I'll spend some quality time with my daughter and start getting her ready to meet the world for the day."

Maggie stumbled off to the bathroom, flipped on the lights and closed the door. She turned around and leaned her back against the door and slid down just slightly. Her eyes closed and if she concentrated just hard enough, she could still feel Bianca's breath on the back of her neck. It was a feeling she didn't think if it happened every minute of every day that she would ever get her fill of it.

She shook her head. "Ok Stone," she thought, "let's get you put together to go out in the world today!" She stood up and turned to look in her mirror. "Oh lord…I better get a sand blaster." Even with her hair pulled back, there were hairs going every direction, bags under her eyes, and there was 'eye gook' in the corners of her eyes. "Oh yeah…I'm hot," she laughed.

July 6th – 7:00 AM

Maggie stepped out of the bathroom to tell Bianca she was done and found her holding Miranda in her lap, singing to her. Both of them looked content as Bianca slowly rocked back and forth, smiling happily, her eyes closed. Maggie felt almost like she had intruded on them, but they did need to get ready. "Bianca?"

Bianca opened her eyes and looked at her, retaining her smile. "All done?"

"Yeah…that was lovely by the way."

"What?" she asked as she stood up and started walking towards her smaller friend.

"You're singing," she responded as she took Miranda from Bianca's arms. "What was it?"

Bianca blushed slightly. "Greensleeves."

"Well it was quite nice…I mean, it doesn't measure up to my original songs of course," she said, taking a haughty air about her, "but it was ok."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say dear."

They both froze, eyes locking, a look of shock turning to bemusement/embarrassment.

"Um…I think I'm going to get ready!" Bianca said, her voice having a nervous chuckle to it.

"Yeah…and…I'm… going to go get coffee!"

The girls both stepped in the same direction to go around each other…then to the other side…then one more time, both laughing too hard now. Bianca finally took a large step to the left and pointed towards the kitchen door. "Just go already!"

Maggie scurried off, her cheeks a deep crimson now, but she made it to the kitchen door and left the room hurriedly.

Bianca just shook her head and headed off towards the bathroom. "This is just getting tougher and tougher," she muttered to herself.

July 6th – 7:15 AM

Bianca walked in to the kitchen and discovered Guilia, already buzzing around fixing breakfast for everyone. Maggie was chatting with Patrick at the butcher block, and Miranda was drinking from her sippy cup. "Guilia! You don't have to do that!" Bianca admonished her house guest in French.

"She insisted," replied Patrick.

"I think its part of her never ending campaign to give me 'child bearing hips'." Maggie said with air quotes.

As if on cue, Guilia dropped bacon in to sizzling grease.

Bianca laughed. "Patrick, could you do me a favor and run up to my room and get the dry cleaning hanging on my closet door?"

"Of course," he replied as he got up and headed to go upstairs.

"So, we are going out today?" asked Maggie.

"Well, I am, I don't know if you have to." Bianca said, taking a seat at the butcher block.

"If you are, I am, I'm not letting you run through that madhouse downstairs by yourself."

"That may not be as much of a problem as you think." Bianca said with a sly smile.

"Why do I suddenly have a very bad feeling in my gut?" Maggie said, cocking her left eyebrow.

"Let's just say that being the daughter of a celebrity teaches you a thing or two."

Guilia walked over and set heaping plates of eggs in front of the girls. "Mangi! Mangi!"

Maggie hung her head. "I think I just felt an artery harden."

July 6th - 7:45 AM

"Can't move…heart blocked…" Maggie said. She was laying in her bed, feet flat on the floor, her hands clasped over her stomach, her eyes closed.

Bianca playfully kicked at Maggie's left leg as she walked back in the room from the kitchen. "Yes Aurélia…exactly that. Thanks, you're the best."

Maggie popped her left eye open. "Aurélia…at this hour?"

"Oh shut up you. You ready to go? We're leaving in exactly 30 minutes…I'm still not sure why you feel the need to go so badly."

"I told you," she sat up, "I'm not letting you go through those crazies alone." She stood up. "Oh my god…how does Guilia stay so thin? I feel like I have a boulder in my stomach."

Bianca laughed at her. "Come on, get ready. Patrick had one of the limo's brought in a few blocks from here, and when we're ready he'll pull up out front with it."

"What are we doing with Miranda?" Maggie asked, going through a dresser drawer.

"Guilia has today off from the hospital and offered to stay here with her."

"Great…Miranda will weigh as much as a teenager by the time we get home!" Maggie said with a chuckle as she pulled a pair of jeans out of a drawer. "Alright, I'm going to go change and I'll meet you in the kitchen…what?"

Bianca was eyeing the clothes in her hands. "What? Oh, nothing, I was just looking at what you picked out."

Maggie looked down at what she was holding. "Something wrong with it? Do they have stains?" She turned the clothes over in her hands, inspecting them.

"No, it's…well, now that we've been on the front page of newspapers, just…just don't be surprised if you start ending up in the fashion pages also, or if people start critiquing what you wear…"

Maggie stared at Bianca blankly. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Afraid not."

Maggie leaned back towards her dresser, sitting partially on the edge. Her arms dropped to her sides, clothes in each hand, a look of defeat crossing her face. "I just got done paying you back for the clothes you bought me when we first got here, and now…now I have to buy all new again?"

Bianca walked over and struck a similar position and put her right arm around Maggie's shoulders. "There's nothing wrong with your clothes, really, and you're reading too much in to this, you just need to be aware of it is all."

"I guess…" she sighed "would you mind if Patrick took me out shopping after we drop you off at work? I can probably squeeze some tops on to one of my credit cards."

"Maggie, honestly, you don't have to buy anything new! Just make sure you match, and remember flashes from cameras can turn a lot of clothes see-through."

"You know…leave it to me to not only finally discover I'm open to dating women, but having to date one that has etiquette rules!" she said with a chuckle.

"Well, let me tell you, speaking from experience, no matter how much you may want to go without a bra, you probably shouldn't. I tried to go without once, and I was a fashion don't by the next morning."

"Great…learn something new everyday. Well, I'll keep all that in mind while shopping today."

"And I'm going to give you a Cambias corporate card to use, and no arguments. Consider it a spoil of war!'

"A war? We're at war now?"

"Yes, with the press." Bianca removed her arm from Maggie's shoulders, clasped her hands in front of her and looked down at them. "You know…you really haven't said how you're doing with all this."

"With what? The circus that is now our lives?"

"Yeah."

"Well…I'd be lying if I said I expected it. I mean…I knew there'd be obstacles and things to adjust to…like how people would look at us on a street if we were holding hands, or if we kissed in public."

"But, being outed on the front page of a tabloid and being called a gold digger?"

"Yeah, that one I didn't see coming so much." Maggie said, shaking her head back and forth while giggling.

Bianca chuckled too, but for the most part remained serious. "But…you're doing ok with it?"

Maggie tossed her clothes towards the bed and turned to face Bianca. "Look, I signed on for this, and sure, some of it I didn't expect, but how can you ever predict everything that'll pop up in any relationship?"

"I know, it's just so much in such a short amount of time, and I want to make sure you're ok."

The shorter girl turned Bianca to face her and took her hands in to hers. "As long as I have you and Miranda in my life, everything will always be ok. So stop worrying, cheer up," Maggie moved in closer, turning slightly so her right hip hit Bianca in her pelvis, "remember you just shared a bed with the greatest girl ever!"

Bianca looked up while keeping her head down and smiled. "You really are, you know that?"

"Of course I do!" Maggie looked skyward in a "ho-hum" fashion. Bianca leaned forward to give Maggie a kiss, but Maggie paused, squinted her eyes and stared at the kitchen door.

Bianca looked distraught. "What…what is it?" she looked over her own shoulder at the door.

"Shhh…this is going too well…which means HE will show up any second now."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "He's down with the limo already."

"Well…if you're sure…" Maggie leaned in hesitantly, still staring at the door. As she got closer to Bianca's lips, that all seemed to melt away, and they locked in a tender kiss.

There was a knock. "Bianca…Maggie…I had to come back for my jacket, I just wanted to tell you that…"

The door flew open, a 5' woman tackled a 6'3" man by going low and for the knees.

July 6th – 8:15 AM

"You made the call? Ok, it should just be a few minutes then, thanks Aurélia." Bianca clicked the call off, and lowered her phone to her side, tapping it against her leg.

Maggie stood there staring out the doors from a secluded spot near the elevator, watching the throng of photographers outside. She finally turned to Bianca. "So how are we going to do this?"

Bianca grinned. "We just wait another minute or two."

All of a sudden there was shouting, camera men running everywhere, much discussion in panicked French voices and then…nothing. All the paparazzi went running off, jumping in to cars and speeding away.

"Alright, now we go." Bianca said, and strode confidently towards the front doors of their building.

Just as they exited the doors, Patrick pulled up in a limo. He quickly got out and opened the back door for them. The girls jumped in and he shut the door behind them, then quickly returned to the front to drive them to the Cambias building.

Maggie twisted in her seat, looking around the windows as the limo pulled away. She glanced over at Bianca whom had a satisfied grin on her face. "So…are you going to tell me how you pulled that off?

"Well…let's just say they are on their way to a Cambias warehouse, which they believe is an orphanage for war refugee children, and that Madonna is there adopting a child."

Maggie stared at her. "I think I'm in awe."

Bianca laughed. "Well, it'll probably only work once, but by sending them to a Cambias property, they know it was us that did it, and that tells them we were trying to get out of the house. So it's almost as good as them seeing us."

Maggie turned around in her seat to face forward again and chuckled about the whole idea as Bianca got out her cell phone and started making calls. Sadly, if she had remained looking out the windows, she might have seen the older model Fiat Punto that pulled out two blocks behind them and followed them all the way to the office.

July 6th – 11:50 AM

"That'll be €987 Euros ma'am," the sales clerk said.

Maggie gulped and handed over the Cambias corporate card Bianca had given her earlier in the morning. The first thing that frightened her was she had probably not spent that much in an entire year on clothes before, and secondly, that was only four pairs of jeans and two tops. They were cute though.

Bianca had told Patrick to take her to the row of boutiques just down the street from the Cambias building, and he was not allowed to bring her back to the office until she had spent an obscene amount of money. She was also not allowed to go home…say she was tired…feign sickness…pretend to be injured…say 'look over there!' and run…

She signed the receipt, collected her bags, and walked outside to where Patrick stood waiting, talking on his mobile.

"No ma'am, I would not yet qualify the amount she has spent as 'obscene', though she does have several bags."

Maggie rolled her eyes and shouted at the phone, "Give me time would ya! I'm working on it!"

Patrick smiled at her. "She says she's happy to hear you're getting in to it, but you still can't come back yet."

"Fine," she grunted.

Patrick laughed and told Bianca he'd call her later with an update. "Ready for the next store?"

Maggie looked around and got a devious grin on her face. "Yeah…that one," she said, pointing.

Patrick followed her finger and cursed. "I think I'll take these bags to the car while you browse the lingerie shop." He picked up the bags and fixed her with a stern look. "I trust you won't run off."

She laughed. "Yes Patrick, I promise, now scoot, I'll only be a few minutes." She watched him walk away, and then she went in to the shop as promised. She had to admit it was more just to annoy him, but now that she was in there, they did have some awfully pretty things.

A sales clerk walked over and started speaking to her in French, she did her best to tell them she didn't speak French. "My apologies….how may I help you?"

"I'm just browsing for now, thank you."

"Someone…special, you wish to entice?"

Maggie felt flush. "Good question actually." She folded her arms across her chest, and looked down at the plush carpeting of the shop, giving it a quick kick with the tip of her pointed shoes. "Maybe…not quite yet."

"Ah, well anything you need for an evening out then?"

"Actually, now that you mention it, I just got a dress for an evening out, and I need some higher cut panties if you have anything."

The sales girl smile and patted her on the right shoulder in a condescending. 'do we look like we sell car parts here?" way. "Of course we do ma'am, just follow me."

Over the next twenty minutes, the sales girl helped her choose new undergarments, and as she was holding up a pair to examine them, she turned towards the front of the store, and spotted a man looking through the large display window….it appeared it was Guy Kachel photographing her through the window.

The sales girl saw Maggie's face go white, and she followed her stare to see what she was looking at. Spotting the man with the camera, she quickly walked over and dropped the shades so he could no longer take pictures of her. "I am sorry ma'am, you know how tourists can be sometimes."

Maggie snapped out of her shock. "Yes….of course," she agreed. It couldn't have possibly been him could it? "I think I'll just take what I have here." She handed the garments to the sales girl and followed her to the counter.

As the girl ran the garments through the computer, she kept looking at Maggie and cocking her head from one side, and then to the other, but never said anything. ""That'll be €217 Euros ma'am." Maggie handed her the charge card and it was then the girl put two and two together. "Cambias…I thought I recognized you, you were the woman in the papers the other day with the head of Cambias Industries!"

Maggie felt like crawling in a hole. "Yeah…that was me."

The sales girl looked at the window, realizing more aspects of what just happened. "Oh no…that was a paparazzi wasn't it?"

"I think so, I'm not sure," Maggie said sheepishly.

Tearing the receipt from the charge card printer, she placed it in front of Maggie. "I am so sorry, if I had realized who you were when you first walked in, I would have put the shade down immediately."

Maggie's eyebrows knitted together as she signed the slip and handed it back. "First of all, I'm no body special, secondly, why would you do that?"

"We do that all the time for the celebrities who come in here. The paparazzi love to take pictures of celebrities buying sexy little things." She bagged up the purchases and handed them to Maggie.

"Great…now I can't even shop without worrying about things…is nothing sacred?"

The sales girl laughed and escorted her to the door. "Please come again, and I promise we won't forget who you are next time," she said with a wink.

Maggie walked outside, gave a quick glance around and saw no sign of Patrick, but the man from the window was there…and he was wearing a leather coat. There was no doubt in her mind now it was Guy Kachel. She set her jaw and decided to walk back to where Patrick had left her earlier, but sadly it meant walking right past the parasite with a camera.

"Ah, Ms. Stone, how accommodating of you, deciding it is best to work with me I see." Guy raised his camera and started taking pictures of her. I am sure by now you've heard all about me…" he continued to snap photos "but there is so much yet to learn about you. Tell me, you just left one of the most famous lingerie shops in the city, perhaps you bought something new to entice Ms. Montgomery out of more of her money?"

There was a little alley cut between two buildings, the type you pay no attention to that are used by delivery trucks day in and day out. Maggie stepped off the curb, still refusing to look anywhere but straight ahead, Guy was now to her side, continuing to shoot pictures, and ask inappropriate questions.

All Maggie cared about now was where Patrick was. She needed to get out of here like ten minutes ago and get away from Guy. Suddenly she noticed there was no voice anymore. Maggie finally gave in and looked around as she stepped up on to the curb past the alley. Guy was no where in sight. It was then she heard what sounded like a scuffle coming from the alley way. She peaked around the corner, and saw Guy being dragged off by his camera strap, which was now high around his neck and choking him.

Maggie stepped in to the alley just in time to see Guy get thrown against a wall and for her to finally see it was Patrick who had dragged the man off. Maggie ran over to Patrick's side and she saw something in his face she had never seen before…pure, unguarded, hatred.

"You miserable little swine!" Patrick took one giant stride across the alley and got directly in Guy's face. "It was one thing when you went after Alexander all those years, back then you were just a nuisance! But now…now there is an innocent child involved in this!"

Guy didn't look scared, his eyes were too cold for that. "A Cambias child Patrick."

"A child of a rape!" Patrick bellowed back. "Your vendetta against this company is over Guy! It ended when Alexander died, leave these women alone!"

"Alexander dying didn't change anything Patrick." Guy was now straightening out his jacket and standing himself more upright. "All Alexander's death did was change the players in the game. Cambias is a plague, it always has been, always will be, all that changes is the face on the corporate report as to who the CEO is."

"You really are going to blame your misfortune on these women Guy?" Patrick's volume was coming down, but the tone was still as deadly. "Alexander cheated your family, I don't argue that, but this is a whole new regime Guy. These are young women, trying to do good in the world, my god man, haven't you heard about the Miranda Center and the good it's doing?"

"A drop of good in an ocean of lies and deceit Patrick."

Maggie finally stepped up. Patrick did a double take as if he hadn't even noticed when she ran up. "I would suggest you watch what you say when it comes to anything involving Miranda."

"Or what little girl? You'll have your girlfriend sic another thug like Patrick on me?"

Patrick's fists clenched, his knuckles turning white. Maggie placed a hand on his arm, letting him know it was her turn. She stepped forward, her eyes locked with Guy's and her jaw was set rigid. "Bianca and I have been through more crap than you could ever comprehend, and we have never needed anyone to fight our battles. You mention Miranda ever again, you ever take another picture of her, and I will personally make you wish you had never been born."

Guy sneered. "Big talk for such a little thing…have to protect that gold mine you found eh? You must have been angry when you saw all the work your sister and you had done being ruined by that Lena Kundera showing up and pulling the exact same scam."

Maggie's eyes remained fixed with his, betraying no hint of how she was taking his words.

"Tell me, did your sister and you agree on this whole gay thing before hand, or was that done on the fly?"

Patrick stepped forward to get between Guy and Maggie, but he was too slow. All he ended up was hearing the sickening crunching sound of a nose breaking, and his jacket got hit with some of the blood that escaped from the contact.

Guy threw his hands up to cover his nose, blood seeping out from between his fingers, he crumpled to the ground, calling Maggie some very colorful words in French.

Maggie was hopping around on one foot, shaking out her right hand and repeatedly saying "Ow! Ow! Ow! Dear flippin' God Ow!"

Patrick tried to contain his smile, but was finding it nearly impossible. He squatted down in front of Guy, calmly got his mobile phone from his inner jacket pocket and called for an ambulance. After he finished the call, he pulled out a handkerchief and started wiping the blood off himself.

"Do you think…calling me…an ambulance….will stop me…from…suing….the little bitch?" Guy asked between labored breaths.

Patrick smiled. "What makes you think it's for you?" Patrick looked over his shoulder at Maggie who was still hugging her hand to herself, but refusing to cry. He looked back at Guy. "Looks like she may have broken her hand, she needs to have that looked at." He leaned forward, grabbed Guy's camera, and popped out the memory card, and stashed it in a suit pocket.

"You can't…take that…"

"Oh but I did," Patrick replied, setting the camera on the ground next to Guy.

"I'm…going…to sue….all of you."

Patrick stood up and straightened out the front of his pants. "No you aren't, because if you do, I'll go to the police with the evidence I have on you for identity theft."

"Identity…theft?" Guy asked, trying not to look puzzled since that would hurt.

"When you rented that apartment across from Ms. Montgomery's, you signed with a false name and used a fake ID. Now that Cambias Industries owns that building, we have those documents. You sue Ms. Stone for what just happened, we turn you over to the police and you go to prison."

"How…typically…Cambias….of you."

"No, how typically protective of me," Patrick said as he walked over to Maggie and tried to examine her hand. She hesitantly let him take it in to his own, and look at it.

The ambulance sirens could be heard approaching from the opposite end of the alley. "You're in luck Guy, it appears her hand is only bruised, you can have the ambulance after all, Cambias Industries will pay for your hospital visit."

"Like…I would take…money…from…them…"

"Suit yourself." Patrick took Maggie by the shoulders and turned her to walk back the way they had come. "Remember Guy…you go after Maggie, I go to the police, your choice."

The ambulance pulled up to Guy, and the attendants jumped out to examine him, just as Patrick and Maggie turned out of the alley and back on the main sidewalk, Maggie clutching her right hand to her chest. "Patrick?" she asked weakly.

"Yes?"

"Do you think Bianca will let me stop shopping for the day now?"

"I don't know…she was pretty clear about no excuses." Patrick couldn't keep a straight face and put his arm around her shoulders, lightly pulling her in for a squeeze. "I think she might be understanding of this one. Come on, there's a health facility back at the office building, they can wrap your hand for you." He took her bag from the lingerie shop from her, and tried to carry it with as much manly flair as he could muster.

July 6th – 10:00 PM

"Bianca, my legs aren't broken, I could have gotten to the kitchen for a glass of water you know!" she said as Bianca came back in the den with a glass.

"I know, I just want you to rest though."

Maggie was slouched on the couch, her feet on the coffee table, her bandaged hand resting across her stomach. "Fine, fine." She tried to push herself up so she could drink her water, and that was when Bianca produced a bendy straw, plunked it in the water and held the glass for her to drink from it. Maggie looked up at her. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Nope, drink."

Maggie took the straw between her lips and took a couple sips, the entire time looking up at Bianca through her eyelashes. "Thanks," she said as she pulled her head back.

"You're welcome." Bianca sat down on the couch, keeping the glass in her hand, and unpaused the movie they were watching.

After several minutes of silence, Maggie finally spoke up. "Bianca…can I ask you something?"

Bianca paused the movie again and turned so she could look more directly at Maggie. "Of course."

Maggie looked down at her hand so as not to meet the taller girl's eyes. "Are you…are you disappointed in me?"

Bianca's eyebrows threatened to touch in the middle of her forehead she was so confused. "Disappointed? Why in the world would I be disappointed in you?"

"Because I punched Guy."

"Oh my god…" Bianca cleared her throat. "Ok, no, I don't think violence solves anything, but…well…sometimes it feels damn good."

Maggie cracked a lopsided smile. "Would this qualify as one of those times?"

"My only regret is I wasn't there to see it."

Maggie chuckled. "I'm glad you weren't, I hopped around moaning like a little school girl from the pain afterwards. They always make it look so easy in the movies, but damn, that hurt!"

"Really?" Bianca got a mischievous grin on her face and leaned down to Maggie's hand and kissed it as lightly as she could. "Does that feel better."

"A little, but…you know, I think vibrations traveled though out my body…parts of it are numb."

Bianca faked a concerned look. "Really? I'm so sorry! Any place in particular?"

Maggie pouted. "Yes. My lips are numb."

"Oh well…let me see if I can make them feel any better for you."

Bianca leaned forward and planted a very light kiss on her lips. "Better?" she asked, hovering only a few inches away.

"Mmmmm not quite, I think you better try again…and really put your back in to it."

Both girls chuckled for a second, and then Bianca leaned in again, planting the deepest kiss she had ever given Maggie on those numb lips. It went on for several seconds before she finally broke away.

"Better?"

"Getting there, but…"

"But what?"

"I keep expecting Patrick to walk in."

Bianca laughed at her. "You know he went home once the tinters finished the windows…no one's here except you, me and Miranda, and she's asleep."

"Well then….I think I need more medicine Nurse Montgomery." Maggie said with a huge grin.

Bianca complied, leaning in, and kissing her deeply…

Across Paris, Patrick remembered something he needed to call and ask Bianca. After a very short conversation, he learned that the next day he would first be having a phone inserted in to a part of his body that a phone should never go, and then he would be having surgery to have said phone removed….minus anesthetic.

_Yes, I'm coming back in the not too distant future, like a week or two, the normal pause between chapters._

The next story arc is entitled "Flight" and is structured slightly differently than my previous arcs. This will also allow it to run much longer than the previous arcs and my current plans is it covers a year of BAM time. See you all then!


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